/  '•/ 


m 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 
COMMODORE  BYRON  MCCANDLESS 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1857,  by 

DERBY   &   JACKSON, 
In  the  Clark's  Offl«e  of  the  United  States  District  Court,  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


W.  II.  TiNiOM,  Stereolyper,  GIORGK  RUSSELL  &  Co.,  Printers. 

JJ  Centre  Street.  61  Beekmsn  Street. 


INTRODUCTION. 


THERE  is  no  campaign  in  modern  military  history,  which,  for  its 
*xtent,  was  more  complete  in  all  its  parts,  and  more  brilliant  in  its 
results,  than  that  conducted  by  Andrew  Jackson  in  1814-15,  in  the 
defence  of  New  Orleans.  In  the  brief  period  of  twenty-six  days,  a  town 
of  less  than  eighteen  thousand  inhabitants,  including  all  sexes  and  ages, 
without  forts — natural  or  artificial  defences— exposed  to  approach  and 
attack  on  all  sides,  by  land  and  water — with  an  army  of  less  than  five 
thousand  militia,  hastily  raised  en  masse,  and  illy  armed  and  accoutred — 
was  not  only  successfully  defended  against  a  veteran  army  of  ten 
thousand  of  the  best  soldiers  in  the  world,  but  was  made  forever 
glorious  by  the  most  brilliant  victory,  which  has  been  achieved  since  the 
invention  of  gunpowder.  The  pecnliarities  of  this  victory  are  the 
astonishing  and  unprecedented  disparity  of  loss  between  the  combatants, 
and  the  marvellous  proofs  of  steadiness,  of  skill  and  rapidity  in  the  use 
of  fire-arms,  displayed  by  the  American  militia.  The  splendor  of  the 
closing  victory  has  obscured  many  features  of  this  campaign,  which  con- 
tributed largely  to  the  final  result,  and,  as  valuable  lessons  and  glorious 
illustrations  of  the  valor  of  our  citizen  soldiers,  and  of  the  genius  of 
the  great  Chief  and  Hero — whose  lofty  soul  was  the  fountain  of  inspira- 
tion, from  which  all  engaged  in  that  defence,  drew  courage,  confidence, 
and  patriotic  resolution — ought  not  to  be  forgotten  or  hastily  glanced 
over.  These  sketches  have  been  written  with  the  hope  of  preventing 
such  unpatriotic  lapses  of  memory  in  the  present  generation. 


IV  INTRODUCTION. 

It  is  believed  that  the  campaign  of  1814-15  has  not  received  full 
justice,  in  the  narratives,  which  have  been  published,  the  numerous  merits 
of  which  have  been  marred  by  serious  errors.  By  comparing  these 
various  versions  and  by  constant  consultations  with  those,  who  played 
prominent  parts  on  both  sides  in  this  drama,  it  is  believed  that  the 
following  account,  which  does  not  aspire  to  the  dignity  of  history,  and  is 
divested  of  cumbrous  details  and  of  military  technicalities,  is  as  faithful 
and  exact  as  it  is  practicable  to  render  a  narrative  of  this  description. 

There  are  in  most  of  the  histories  of  this  campaign,  errors  of  a  serious 
character,  which  ought  to  be  corrected  before  the  evidence  thereof  has 
perished  or  disappeared.  Personal  and  political  feeling  and  prejudice, 
which,  in  so  many  histories,  have  warped  and  tinged  the  facts  of  this 
epoch,  have  been  studiously  excluded  from  the  mind  of  the  writer  of 
these  sketches.  His  sole  desire  has  been  to  do  full  justice  to  American 
valor  and  patriotism,  and  to  present  truthful  and  vivid  pictures  of  that 
memorable  defence,  and  of  the  cpnduct  of  the  great  Chief,  who,  springing 
from  the  people,  a  frontier  warrior,  without  science,  art  or  experience 
in  military  affairs,  was  enabled  through  the  smiles  of  Providence,  by  his 
stout  heart,  his  sagacious  intellect,  and  ardent  patriotism,  to  repel,  punish, 
and  nearly  destroy  one  of  the  best  appointed  armies  ever  sent  forth  by 
the  greatest  Power  of  the  earth.  Ought  such  deeds  to  be  permitted  to 
fade  from  the  memories  of  a  patriotic  people  ?  Is  it  not  a  reproach  to 
the  present  generation,  that  modern  events  of  far  less  splendor  and 

importance  should  occupy  their  minds,  to  the  exclusion  of  memories  like 

• 
these  we  have  invoked  ?    It  is  demonstratable  that  in  every  aspect  iu 

which  it  may  be  viewed,  the  defence  of  Sevastopol  iu  1854-55  by  the 
Russians,  against  the  allied  armies  of  Great  Britain  and  France,  is  far 
less  remarkable  as  a  military  exploit,  than  the  defence  of  New  Orleans 
in  1814-15  ;  whilst  the  operations  of  the  Allies  have  displayed  less  reso- 
lution and  energy  than  were  evinced  by  the  veteran  army  of  Packenharn. 
The  occurrence  of  the  former  operations  presents  a  favorable  occasion 
for  the  reproduction  of  the  facts  of  the  last-named  campaign,  in  which 
will  be  found  some  remarkable  coincidences,  with  the  events  of  the 
Crimean  Expedition.  Thus,  it  will  be  perceived  that  the  failure  of  the 
one,  and  the  disastrous  delays  of  the  other  expedition,  may  be  traced  to 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

oe  same  cause,  namely  the  lack  of  promptitude  and  decision  in  the 
ommander  of  the  attacking  party.  It  is  conceded  on  a-11  sides  that 
if  the  Allied  Army  had  advanced  upon,  and  stormed  Sevastopol 
immediately  after  the  victory  at  Alma,  it  could  have  entered  and 
captured  the  town.  So,  it  is  equally  clear  that  General  Keane  could 
have  marched  into  New  Orleans  after  the  battle  of  the  23rd  December 
1814.  The  strength  of  earth-works  against  the  most  powerful  batteries, 
which  was  so  strongly  shown  in  Jackson's  defence,  was  again  illus- 
trated on  the  southern  side  of  Sevastopol,  against  the  same  British 
Engineering-officer  who  constructed  the  redoubts  which  Jackson's  Artil- 
lery destroyed  in  three  hoars  on  the  plains  of  Chalmette,  on  the  first  of 
January  1814 ;  this  unfortunate  officer  is  Sir  John  Burgoyne,  Inspector 
of  Fortifications  in  the  British  army.  The  lesson  at  New  Orleans  should 
have  taught  another  wholesome  truth  to  the  projectors  of  the  Crimean 
Expedition — that  of  the  great  peril  and  difficulty  of  all  attempts 
to  capture  a  town,  the  communication  of  which,  with  the  interior,  is 
left  open  and  unobstructed.  In  this  respect  the  positions  of  New 
Orleans  and  Sevastopol  were  identical.  Finally  these  two  campaigns 
have  demonstrated  this  other  valuable  and  encouraging  truth ;  that  in 
the  most  remote  and  exposed  points  of  a  united  Nation,  we  often  fiud 
the  most  brilliant  proofs  of  patriotism,  courage,  and  devotion. 

A.  W. 


CONTENTS. 


MM 

PKKUMIXARY   CHAPTKB 1 

i.  JACKSON'S  FIRST  ENTKT  INTO  NEW  ORLEANS         ...        9 

II.  LAFITTE,  "  THE  PIBATB  " 31 

HI.  LAFITTE,  THE  PATRIOT -49 

IV.  JACKSON   CLEARS  HIS   FLANKS  .          .  .  .  .  .62 

V.  THE  BRITISH  REVIEW  AND  EMBARKATION         ....        77 

VI.  BATTLE   OF  LAKE  BORONS 95 

VH.  THE  BRITISH  LANDING  AND  BIVOUAC 116 

VIII.  THE  ALARM — THE  RALLY — THE  MARCH 138 

IX.  BATTLE   OF  THE  TWENTY-THIRD  OF  DECEMBER,  1814.       .  .      164 

X.  SIR  EDWARD  PACKENHAM         .  .  .  .  .  .      197 

XI.  A  DEMONSTRATION  AND  A  DEFEAT 222 

XII.  THE  BRITISH  BRING  UP  THEIR  BIO  GUNS         .  .  ...      239 

Xm.  BATTLE   OF  THE  BATTERIES 254^ 

XIV.  TWO  NOTABLE   WARRIORS   AND  REVOLUTIONISTS        .  .  .      273— 

XV.  PREPARATION  FOR  THE  FINAL  CONFLICT  .  .  .  .297 

XVI  THE  BATTLE   OF  NEW  ORLEANS — THE  VICTORY         .  .  .321 

XVH.  BATTLE   OF  NEW  ORLEANS — THE  DISASTER       ....      249- 

XVin.  CLOSING  INCIDENTS 367 

XIX.  THE  FINALE  .        - 385 

SUPPLEMENTARY   CHAPTER  ,      408 


LIFE   OF  ANDREW  JACKSON, 


PRELIMINARY   CHAPTER. 

HUGH  JACKSON,  tho  grandfather  of  General  Jackson, 
was  a  linen-draper,  and  resided  near  Carrickfergus,  on 
the  Lough  of  Belfast.  He  had  four  sons,  who  were 
plain  respectable  farmers,  liberal  and  hospitable,  of 
strict  integrity,  and,  like  their  forefathers,  firm  in  their 
adherence  to  the  Church  of  Scotland.  Andrew,  the 
youngest,  married  Elizabeth  Hutchinson,  by  whom  he 
had  two  sons,  Hugh  and  Robert,  born  in  Ireland.  Tired 
of  the  ceaseless  turmoil  and  confusron  that  distracted 
the  country,  and  despairing  of  the  success  of  any  at- 
tempt to  relieve  the  Irish  people  from  the  grievances 
of  which  they  complained,  he  sold  his  farm,  and,  in 
1765,  determined  to  seek  a  more  tranquil  and  peaceful 
home  in  the  western  wilderness.  Accompanied  by 
three  of  his  neighbors,  James,  Robert,  and  Joseph 
Crawford,  the  first  of  whom  had  married  a  sister  of  his 
wife,  he  embarked  for  America  with  his  family,  and 
landed  in  safety,  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina. 


u- 


X  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

Dissatisfied  with  the  low  country  bordering  on  the 
coast,  the  immigrants  pushed  into  the  interior  of  the 
colony.  Lands  were  purchased,  and  they  all  settled 
near  each  other,  on  Waxhaw  Creek,  one  of  the  branches 
of  the  Catawba,  in  Lancaster  district,  about  forty-five 
miles  from  Camden,  and  near  the  boundary  line  of 
North  Carolina.  Here,  in  this  fine  and  healthy  region, 
agreeably  diversified  with  hills  and  dales,  and  drained 
by  the  romantic  Catawba,  Andrew  Jackson,  the  younger, 
was  born,  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  March,  1767. 

Not  long  after  the  birth  of  his  third  son,  the  elder 
Jackson  died,  leaving  to  his  wife  and  children  a  limited 
property,  yet  with  an  honest  and  unsullied  name.  A 
double  duty  now  devolved  on  the  surviving  parent. 
Faithfully  and  nobly  was  it  discharged.  To  the  resolute 
firmness  and  unflinching  fortitude  of  the  Spartan  mother, 
she  united  the  piety  and  resignation,  the  trustful  faith 
and  confidence,  of  the  devoted  Christian.  Naturally 
gifted  with  a  strong  mind,  early  disciplined  in  the  school 
of  adversity,  and  strengthened  by  Him  who  is  ever  the 
stay  and  helper  of  the  widow  and  orphan,  no  difficulties 
deterred  her  from  the  accomplishment  of  her  high  and 
holy  task. 

The  property  of  which  Mrs.  Jackson  was  left  in  pos- 
session, consisted  of  a  new  farm,  without  slaves  ;  and  it 
required  the  constant  practice  of  the  most  rigid  economy 
and  prudence,  to  enable  her  to  provide  for  the  main- 
tenance and  education  of  her  three  young  sons.  After 
ber  husband's  death,  she,  took  charge  of  Mr.  Crawford's 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  XI 

family — her  sister,  Mrs.  Crawford,  being  in  feeble 
health.  Her  two  younger  sons,  Robert  and  Andrew, 
remained  with  her,  and  the  oldest  went  to  reside  with  a 
neighbor.  Hugh  and  Robert  received  only  a  common- 
school  education ;  but  Andrew  was  designed  by  the, 
perhaps,  partial  mother,  for  a  more  enlarged  sphere  of 
usefulness.  She  intended  him  for  the  church,  and  there- 
fore sent  him  to  the  Waxhaw  Academy,  then  under  the 
charge  of  Mr.  Humphries,  where  he  acquired  a  know- 
ledge of  the  various  English  branches  taught  at  that 
time,  and  had  made  considerable  progress  in  the  Latin 
and  Greek  languages,  when  the  ravages  of  the  revolu- 
tionary war,  approaching  nearer  to  this  remote  settle- 
ment, put  an  end  to  his  studies. 

Boys  though  they  were,  the  young  Jacksons  became 
deeply  imbued  with  the  prevailing  spirit.  This  was 
especially  the  case  with  Andrew,  who  longed  for  the 
hour  to  arrive,  when  he  would  be  able  to  shoulder  a 
musket,  and  perform  some  doughty  enterprise,  in  de- 
fence of  the  liberties  of  his  country. 

The  officers  charged  with  what  proved  to  be  the 
Sisyphiau  task  of  subjugating  the  colonial  rebels,  made 
their  first  principal  efforts  m  the  northern  provinces. 
Foiled,  or  beaten  here,  they  turned  their  attention  to  the 
South.  Savannah  was  reduced  in  December,  1778, 
and  South  Carolina  invaded  in  the  spring  of  1779. 
Among  those  who  marched  out  to  meet  the  enemy,  was 
Hugh  Jackson,  the  oldest  of  the  three  brothers ;  he  be- 
longed to  the  company  commanded  by  Captain,  after- 


ill  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

wards  Colonel  Davie,  and  was  present  at  the  battle  of 
Stono,  on  the  twentieth  of  June,  where  he  lost  his  life 
from  the  excessive  heat  of  the  day.  Early  in  1780,  a 
more  formidable  effort  was  made  by  the  enemy,  in 
South  Carolina.  Charleston  was  invested  by  a  strong 
force,  under  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  on  the  thirtieth  of 
March  ;  General  Lincoln,  then  at  the  head  of  the  South- 
ern army,  stoutly  defended  the  post,  but  was  compelled 
to  capitulate  on  the  twelfth  of  May. 

Not  long  after,  Lord  Rawdon  was  dispatched  by  Corn- 
wallis  into  the  Waxhaw  settlement,  with  a  large  body 
of  troops,  to  practice  the  same  sanguinary  measures 
which  had  been  adopted  in  other  parts  of  the  province. 
Upon  the  fall  of  Charleston,  marauding  parties  of  British 
dragoons  were  sent  out  to  scour  the  country  ;  the  timid 
were  conciliated,  and  the  refractory  punished  ;  rapine, 
murder,  and  violence,  were  committed  with  impunity ; 
members  of  the  same  family  were  arrayed  against  each 
other,  and  all  were  made  to  suifer  the  misery  and 
wretchedness  ever  attendant  on  civil  war.  The  loyalists, 
or  Tories  gladly  hailed  the  appearance  of  the  British 
troops ;  others  consented  to  take  protection,  as  it  was 
called,  in  the  hope,  often  a  mistaken  one  of  enjoying  an 
immunity  from  attack  ;  but  there  were  many  who  refused 
to  waver  in  their  allegiance  to  the  Confederation. 

Mrs.  Jackson  and  her  two  sons,  with  a  number  of  the 
Waxhaw  settlers,  retired  before  Lord  Rawdon,  into 
North  Carolina,  where  they  remained  for  several  days, 
and  until  he  was  recalled  to  Camden.  Resistance  had 


LIFE    OF    ANDREW   JACKSON.  Xlll 

now  nearly  ceased;  and  the  British  officers  began  to 
flatter  themselves  with  the  belief  that  the  province  was 
completely  subdued.  But  a  few  weeks  elapsed,  how- 
ever, ere  General  Sumter,  who  resided  near  the  Wax- 
haws,  returned  from  North  Carolina,  where  he  had  also 
been  a  voluntary  exile,  and  raised  the  patriot  standard, 
at  the  head  of  his  small  but  gallant  band.  Other  par- 
tisan corps,  under  Marion,  Pickens,  and  Davie,  were 
soon  formed.  "Without  pay ;  scantily  supplied  with 
clothing  and  subsistence ;  provided  with  guns  of  every 
form  and  calibre,  and  swords  and  lances  fashioned  out 
of  the  rude  implements  of  husbandry  ;  and  mainly  rely- 
ing for  ammunition  on  their  captures  from  the  enemy, 
• — these  brave  yeomen  rendezvoused  in  the  swamps  and 
forests  of  South  Carolina,  where  the  bivouacked,  night 
after  night,  in  the  open  air,  and  from  which  they  darted 
forth  on  detached  parties  of  British  and  Tories,  like  the 
eagle  on  its  prey. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  July,  General  Sumter,  with  about 
six  hundred  men,  made  an  unsuccessful  attack  on  the 
advanced  post  of  the  British,  at  Rocky  Mount.  Three 
desperate  efforts  demonstrated  the  impracticability  of 
carrying  the  enemy's  fortifications,  and  being  entirely 
without  cannon,  he  was  obliged  to  draw  off  his  com- 
mand. He  was  now  reinforced  by  a  party  of  the  Wax- 
haw  settlers,  under  Colonal  Davie,  and,  on  the  sixth 
of  August,  proceeded  against  the  post  at  Hanging 
Rock,  midway  between  Camden  and  the  Waxhaws. 
The  first  onset  was  attended  with  complete  success. 


XIV  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

The  enemy  were  driven  from  their  camp,  and  took  shel- 
ter in  the  main  work.  Unfortunately,  many  of  Sum- 
*er's  men  had  fasted  so  long,  that  they  preferred  search- 
"ng  for  something  to  eat  and  drink,  rather  than  to 
advance  and  secure  the  victory,  by  carrying  the  post, 
which  might  then  have  been  easily  accomplished.  A 
quantity  of  liquor  was  found  in  the  camp,  and  they  com- 
menced drinking,  in  opposition  to  the  urgent  remon- 
strances of  their  commander.  Apprehending  the  worst 
consequences  if  they  remained,  he  resolved  to  retire  to 
his  encampment  before  they  became  wholly  ungovern- 
able. 

The  corps  of  Colonel  Davie  particularly  distinguished 
itself  on  this  occasion.  Prominent  among  its  members, 
were  Lieutenant  James  Crawford,  and  Robert  and 
Andrew  Jackson  —  the  latter  a  mere  stripling,  but 
thirteen  years  of  age ;  yet,  in  heart  and  soul,  he  was  a 
man.  This  was  his  first  battle,  and  the  accounts  we 
have  of  it  show  that  both  he  and  his  brother  rendered 
good  service. 

Besides  other  affairs,  of  minor  importance,  but  equally 
honorable  to  the  American  cause,  the  battle  of  the 
Cowpens,  and  the  masterly  retreat  of  General  Greene, 
took  place  during  the  ensuing  winter,  while  Mrs.  Jack- 
son and  her  sons,  with  other  "Waxhaw  settlers,  remained 
in  North  Carolina.  Early  in  February,  1 781,  Cornwallis 
crossed  the  Yadkin,  in  pursuit  of  Greene  ;  and  she  and 
her  friends  thereupon  returned  to  their  homes,  although 
they  were  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  British  posts, 


LIFE  OF  ANDREW    JACKSON.  XV 

and  the  country  around  was  full  of  armed  parties  of 
Tories,  whose  cruelties  and  enormities  were  every  day 
becoming  more  barbarous  and  revolting. 

The  struggle  now  began  to  assume,  especially  in  the 
Carolinas,  a  yet  more  direful  aspect.  A  fierce  war  of 
extermination  was  waged  between  Whigs  and  Tories. 
The  two  parties,  or  factions — call  them  what  we  may — 
could  not  exist  on  the  same  soil.  The  former  had  im- 
perilled everything  in  the  effort  to  secure  their  indepen- 
dence, and  they  fought  for  the  safety,  not  merely  of 
themselves,  but  of  their  wives  and  children,  their  pro- 
perty, their  all !  Boys,  as  well  as  men,  engaged  in  this 
bloody  warfare,  and  it  was  amid  its  trying  scenes,  that 
the  stern  and  inflexible  daring  and  resolution  were 
formed  and  manifested,  which  distinguished  Andrew 
Jackson  in  after  life. 

After  the  departure  of  Cornwallis  from  South  Caro- 
lina, Lord  Rawdon,  whose  head-quarters  were  at  Cam- 
den,  was  left  in  command.  By  this  time,  the  stubborn 
patriotism  of  the  Waxhaw  settlers  was  well  understood  ; 
and  on  being  advised  of  their  return,  he  dispatched 
Major  Coffin,  with  a  corps  of  light  dragoons,  a  company 
of  infantry,  and  a  number  of  Tories,  to  capture  them. 
On  being  informed  of  their  danger,  the  settlers  resolved 
that  they  would  no  longer  fly,  but  maintain  their  ground 
at  all  hazards.  A  day  was  appointed  for  the  male  in- 
habitants in  the  settlement,  capable  of  bearing  arms,  to 
assemble  at  the  Waxhaw  meeting-house,  which  was  fixed 
upon  as  the  place  of  rendezvous.  Punctual,  at  the  time 


XVI  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

and  place,  about  forty  of  the  settlers — Robert  and  An- 
drew Jackson  being  among  the  number — had  collected, 
and  were  waiting  for  a  friendly  company,  under  Captain 
Nesbit,  when  they  saw  what  they  supposed  to  be  the 
expected  reinforcement — but  which,  in  reality,  was  the 
detachment  of  Major  Coffin,  with  the  Tories,  who  wore 
the  usual  dress  of  the  country,  in  front — approaching 
at  a  rapid  rate.  The  deception  was  not  discovered,  till 
the  British  dashed  in  among  them,  cleaving  down  all 
who  stood  in  their  way.  Eleven,  of  the  party  were 
taken  prisoners ;  the  remainder  sprang  upon  their 
horses,  and  most  of  them  made  their  escape. 

Andrew  Jackson  was  accompanied  in  his  flight  by  his 
cousin,  Lieutenant  Thomas  Crawford ;  but,  in  passing 
over  a  piece  of  marshy  ground,  the  horse  of  the  latter 
mired  and  fell,  and  he  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner. 
Young  Jackson,  shortly  after  encountered  his  brother, 
who  had  also  eluded  pursuit.  They  remained  together 
during  the  night,  and,  at  dawn  on  the  following  morn- 
ing, concealed  themselves  in  a  dense  thicket,  on  the 
bank  of  Cain  Creek,  near  the  house  of  Lieutenant 
Crawford.  During  the  day  they  became  very  hungry, 
and,  deeming  themselves  secure,  ventured  out  to  the 
house.  A  boy  was  directed  to  watch  the  road;  but 
while  they  were  satisfying  their  hunger,  a  band  of 
Tories  and  dragoons,  who  had  discovered  their  retreat, 
and  captured  their  horses  and  guns,  which  were  left 
behind  them,  suddenly  made  their  appearance,  and  sur- 
rounded the  house.  Resistance  could  be  of  no  avail, 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  XV11 

and  escape  was  impossible.     They  therefore  surrendered 
themselves  prisoners  of  war. 

Not  content  with  the  capture  of  the  two  young  men, 
the  dragoons  and  Tories  commenced  abusing  and  mal 
treating  Mrs.  Crawford  and  her  children.  The  crockery 
and  furniture  in  the  house  were  broken  in  pieces  ;  and 
the  beds  and  bedding,  and  all  the  clothing  of  the  family 
including  that  of  an  infant  at  the  breast,  was  torn  into 
shreds.  While  the  work  of  destruction  was  going  on, 
the  British  officer,  in  command  of  the  party,  directed 
Andrew  Jackson  to  clean  the  mud  from  his  boots.  As 
might  be  supposed,  he  indignantly  refused  to  do  the 
menial  office.  Enraged  at  this  reply,  the  officer  drew 
his  sword,  and  aimed  a  dastard  blow  at  the  head  of  his 
unarmed  prisoner.  The  latter  parried  it  with  his  left 
hand,  but,  in  so  doing  received  a  cut,  the  scar  of  which 
was  carried  to  his  grave.  Disappointed  in  the  spirit  of 
the  intrepid  youth,  the  officer  turned  to  his  brother,  and 
required  him  to  perform  the  task.  Robert  likewise  re- 
fused ;  a  furious  blow  from  the  infuriated  Briton  was  the 
consequence,  and  a  wound  was  inflicted,  from  the  effect 
of  which  his  victim  never  recovered. 

After  this,  the  two  Jacksons,  with  about  twenty  other 
prisoners,  were  mounted  on  captured  horses,  and  the 
party  set  out  on  their  return  to  Camden.  Not  a  mouth- 
ful of  food,  or  a  drop  of  water,  was  given  them  on  the 
road ;  and  when  they  reached  Camden,  they  were  thrust 
into  a  redoubt  surrounding  the  jail,  in  which  some  two 
hundred  and  fifty  prisoners,  besides  those  taken  at  the 


XV111  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

Waxhaws,  were  confined.  Here  they  were  stripped  of 
part  of  their  clothing — Andrew  losing  his  jacket  and 
shoes ;  their  wounds  were  undressed ;  no  attention  was 
paid  to  their  wants ;  and  when  the  relationship  between 
the  two  Jacksons  and  Lieutenant  Crawford  was  dis- 
covered, they  were  instantly  separated,  and  kept  in 
ignorance  of  each  other's  fate.  The  Provost  was  a  Tory 
from  New  York,  who,  it  was  afterwards  said,  took  tho 
provisions  intended  for  the  prisoners,  to  feed  a  number 
of  negroes  whom  he  had  collected  from  different  "Whig 
plantations,  with  the  intention  of  disposing  of  them  for 
his  own  benefit.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  prisoners  were 
but  sparingly  supplied  with  bad  bread ;  and  to  add  to 
their  wretchedness,  the  smallpox  appeared  among  them, 
and  made  frightful  ravages. 

Amid  the  accumulated  horrors  of  his  prison-house 
with  sickness  and  starvation  staring  him  in  the  face,  the 
groans  of  the  dying  constantly  ringing  in  his  ears,  and 
hourly  exposed  to  the  ill-treatment  of  his  captors, 
Andrew  Jackson  never  lost  the  fearlessness  of  spirit 
which  ever  distinguished  him.  Availing  himself  of  a 
favorably  opportunity,  he  boldly  remonstrated  with  the 
officer  of  the  guard,  in  behalf  of  Limself  and  his  suffer- 
ing companions.  His  remonstrances  had  the  desired 
effect;  meat  was  added  to  the  rations,  and,  in  other 
respects,  the  condition  of  the  prisoners  was  decidedly 
improved. 

Matters  were  in  this  situation,  when  General  Greeno 
returned  from  North  Carolina,  in  April,  1781,  and  en- 


LIFE   OF   ANDEEW   JACKSON.  XIX 

camped,  with  his  army,  on  Hobkirk's  Hill,  a  little  over 
a  mile  north  of  Camden,  waiting  only  the  arrival  of  his 
cannon,  before  making  his  dispositions  to  assault  the 
pbst 

On  the  morning  of  the  twenty-fourth  of  April,  An- 
drew Jackson  discovered  indications  of  a  design  to 
attack  General  Greene.  The  jail  and  redoubt  stood  on 
the  eminence  upon  which  Caindcu  is  situated,  and  a 
fine  view  would  have  been  afforded  of  the  encampment 
on  Hobkirk's  Hill,  had  not  the  British  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  construct  a  high  and  tight  plank  fence  on 
the  redoubt,  immediately  after  the  arrival  of  the  Ameri- 
can army  in  the  neighborhood.  He  was  determined, 
nevertheless,  to  obtain  a  view  of  the  anticipated  con- 
flict ;  and  by  working  nearly  all  night  with  an  old  razor- 
blade,  furnished  the  prisoners  to  cut  their  rations,  he 
succeeded  in  digging  out  a  knot  in  one  of  the  planks. 
When  Lord  Haw  don  led  out  his  men,  on  the  morning  of 
the  twenty-fifth,  for  a  bold  stroke  at  the  American 
leader,  Andrew  mounted  the  breastwork,  and  placed 
himself  at  the  look-out,  while  his  fellow-prisoners  gath- 
ered in  groups  below  him,  listening  attentively,  as  he 
detailed  the  varied  incidents  of  the  day. 

His  voice  was  tremulous  with  apprehension,  as  he 
informed  his  companions,  that  the  Americans  had  been 
taken  unawares,  and  their  pickets  were  driven  in;  it 
was  pitched  to  a  louder  key,  when  the  cannon  of  Greene 
opened  their  brazen  throats,  and  vomited  forth  torrents 
of  flame  and  iron,  tearing  and  rending  through  the 


XX  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

British  columns ;  again  it  sank,  as  the  enemy  rallied, 
and  pushed  boldly  forward ;  it  rose  once  more,  when 
the  regiments  of  Ford  and  Campbell  pressed  gallantly 
upon  their  flank — when  Washington  and  his  brave  dra- 
goons came  thundering  down  in  their  rear — and  he 
caught  sight  of  the  glistening  bayonets  of  the  1st  Mary- 
land, and  the  Yirginians,  as  they  prepared  to  charge 
home  upon  their  assailants  ;  it  fell  again  as  the  veteran 
regiment  of  Gunby  recoiled  before  the  British  fire,  and 
died  away  into  a  whisper,  when  all  hope  of  deliverance 
vanished,  as  the  beaten,  but  not  routed  Greene,  retired 
slowly  over  the  hill,  and  the  pursuit  was  only  checked 
by  the  timely  charge  of  Washington's  cavalry. 

The  Jacksons  were  not  deserted  by  one  friend,  in  their 
confinement — the  mother  who  had  reared  them  to  serve 
their  country,  and  who  knew  no  prouder  joy  than  to 
see  them  do  their  duty  well.  She  followed  them  to 
Camden,  to  aid  and  succor  them,  and,  soon  after  the 
battle  of  Hobkirk's  Hill,  procured  their  exchange,  with 
five  of  their  neighbors,  for  thirteen  British  soldiers, 
captured  by  a  Whig  partisan  captain,  by  the  name  of 
Walker.  Pale,  emaciated,  barefooted,  almost  naked, 
and  infected  with  the  smallpox,  they  presented  them- 
selves before  their  surviving  parent.  The  wound  in 
Robert's  head  had  never  been  dressed;  and  this,  in 
connection  with  hunger,  and  the  disease  that  had  fast- 
ened itself  upon  him,  had  reduced  him  so  low,  that  he 
was  unable  even  to  ride,  except  as  he  was  held  on  a 
horse. 


LIFE   OF    ANDREW   JACKSON.  XXI 

There  were  but  two  horses  for  the  whole  party,  con- 
sisting of  Mrs.  Jackson  and  her  sons,  and  the  other 
released  prisoners,  who  accompanied  them  home.  Mrs. 
Juckson  rode  one,  and  Robert  was  supported  on  the 
other  by  his  companions.  Thus  wearily  and  sadly,  did 
they  perform  their  melancholy  journey  of  more  than 
forty  miles,  through  a  country  blighted  by  the  ravages 
of  war,  as  if  the  lightnings  of  Heaven  had  scathed  it, 
AVithin  two  hours'  ride  of  the  Waxhaws,  they  were 
overtaken  by  a  shower  of  rain,  by  which  the  company 
were  completely  drenched.  The  smallpox  was  driven 
in  on  botU  the  boys ;  Robert  died  in  two  days ;  and 
Andrew  at  once  became  delirious.  TUe  fever  raged 
violently  for  several  days,  and  his  case  was  regarded 
nearly  hopeless.  The  kind  nursing  of  his  patient  and 
devoted  mother,  and  the  attentions  of  his  physician,  at 
length  triumphed  over  the  disease,  and  restored  him  to 
consciousness  and  health. 

He  had  scarcely  repovered  his  strength,  when  his 
mother,  with  characteristic  energy  and  fortitude,  in 
company  with  four  or  five- other  ladies,  providing  them- 
selves with  such  necessaries  as  could  be  conveniently 
carried  on  horseback,  set  out  to  visit  a  number  of  the 
Waxhaw  settlers,  including  some  of  the  CJrawfords, 
who  had  been  taken  by  the  enemy,  and  were  confined 
on  board  the  Charleston  prison-ship — whose  history, 
like  that  of  the  Old  Jersey,  at  New  York,  is  but  a  tale 
of  unmitigated  horror  and  suffering.  These  good 
Samaritan  women  reached  Charleston,  obtained  per 


XX11  LIFE   OF   ANDKEW   JACKSON. 

mission  to  visit  the  vessel — a  privilege  that  had  always 
been  refused  to  relatives  and  friends  of  the  other  sex — 
and  delivered  the  supplies  which  they  had  brought. 
Mrs.  Jackson,  however,  never  returned  from  this  errand 
of  love  and  mercy.  Enfeebled  by  constant  care  and 
privation,  worn  down  by  the  numerous  hardships  and 
fatigues  which  she  had  endured,  she  was  seized  with 
the  fever  prevailing  among  the  prisoners,  which  soon 
terminated  her  existence.  She  was  buried  near  the 
enemy's  lines,  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston,  in  an 
unknown  grave ;  but  her  memory,  in  after  times,  was 
doubly  honored,  as  that  of  the  noble,  self-sacrificing 
mother,  of  Andrew  Jackson ! 

Solitary  and  alone,  her  orphan  son,  at  the  time  when 
he  most  needed  the  care  and  advice  of  a  parent,  was 
cast  upon  the  world,  to  buffet,  as  he  might,  the  billows 
of  adverse  fortune.  His  home  was,  indeed,  desolate. 
Like  Logan,  there  ran  not  a  drop  of  his  blood  in  the 
veins  of  any  living  creature.  Mother  and  brothers — 
all  had  perished — the  victims  of  English  cruelty ! — Is  it 
to  be  wondered,  then,  that  he  cherished  such  a  feeling 
of  animosity  towards  the  British  name ;  or  that  he 
hated  everything  akin  to  oppression,  with  a  hatred  so 
deep  and  fervent  ? 

Andrew  Jackson  remained,  for  some  time  subsequent 
to  the  death  of  his  mother,  at  the  house  of  Major 
Thomas  Crawford ;  but,  in  consequence  of  a  difficulty 
with  Captain  Galbraith,  an  American  commissary, 
whose  quarters  were  at  the  same  place,  and  who 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  XXH1 

became  offended  with  him  for  some  trifling  cause,  ho 
afterwards  entered  the  family  of  Mr.  Joseph  White,  an 
uncle  of  Mrs.  Crawford.  Mr.  White's  son  was  a 
saddler,  and  Andrew,  though  suffering  all  the  while 
with  the  fever  and  ague,  entered  his  shop,  and  assisted 
him  as  far  as  he  was  able. 

Subsequently,  young  Jackson  collected  together  the 
remains  of  his  small  property,  and,  bidding  adieu  to  his 
friends,  repaired  to  Salisbury,  in  North  Carolina ;  where 
he  commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  in  the  office  of 
Spruce  McCay,  an  eminent  counsellor,  and  afterwards 
a  distinguished  judge  of  that  State.  His  untiring 
industry  and  zeal,  his  talents,  and  his  correct  and  manly 
deportment,  soon  won  the  favorable  esteem  of  Judge 
McCay,  and  other  prominent  citizens  of  North  Carolina, 
whose  acquaintance  he  formed.  His  professional  studies 
were  completed  under  Colonel  John  Stokes,  and,  in 
1786,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  remained  in  the 
State  about  two  years  subsequent  to  this,  constantly 
gaining  ground  in  the  regard  of  his  new  friends  and 
acquaintances;  and  in  1788,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one, 
without  solicitation  on  his  part,  he  was  appointed  by 
the  governor,  solicitor  for  the  western  district,  which 
afterwards  became  the  State  of  Tennessee. 

Near  the  close  of  the  year  1788,  in  company  with 
John  McNairy,  the  newly  appointed  judge  of  the  west- 
ern district,  he  crossed  the  mountains,  for  the  purpose 
of  entering  upon  his  official  duties,  and  establishing 
himself  in  practice.  Jonesborough  was  then  the  prin- 


XXIV  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

cipal  seat  of  justice,  and  they  remained  there  for  several 
months. 

In  1789,  Judge  McNairy,  and  his  friend,  first  visited 
the  infant  settlements  on  the  Cumberland,  including 
that  at  French  Creek,  near  the  present  site  of  Nash- 
ville. Jackson  was  still  undecided  in  regard  to  locating 
permanently  in  the  district,  when  he  arrived  at  the  set- 
tlements on  the  Cumberland.  He  found,  however,  that 
the  debtor  class  constituted  a  large  proportion  of  the 
population,  and  that,  having  retained  the  only  lawyer 
in  West  Tennessee  in  their  interest,  they  were  enabled 
to  set  their  creditors  at  defiance.  The  latter  nocked 
around  him  in  crowds,  and  in  a  few  days  after  his 
arrival  he  issued  a  great  number  of  writs.  Threats  of 
personal  violence  were  employed,  in  vain,  to  intimidate 
him  ;  they  had  only  the  opposite  effect,  and  induced  him 
to  remain,  and  establish  himself  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Nashville.  At  that  time  there  were  no  hotels,  or 
regular  boarding-houses,  in  the  country,  and  none  were 
needed,  as  travellers,  men  of  business,  and  professional 
men,  were  cheerfully  entertained  by  private  families- 
Jackson,  and  the  late  Judge  Overton,  boarded  together, 
with  Mrs.  Donelson,  the  widow  of  Colonel  John  Donel 
Bon,  who  had,  some  years  previous,  emigrated  from 
Virginia  to  Kentucky,  and  thence  to  Tennessee. 

When  Andrew  Jackson  entered  the  family  of  Mrs. 
Donelson  as  a  boarder,  her  daughter,  Kachael,  who  had 
marriecj.  a  man  by  the  name  of  Robards,  in  Kentucky, 
but  had  separated  from  him  on  account  of  his  violent 


LIFE    OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  XXV 

temper  and  vicious  habits,  resided  with  her.  Judge 
Overtoil  and  himself  occupied  another  cabin,  a  few 
steps  distant  from,  that  in  which  Mrs.  Donelson  lived, 
but  met  with  her  family,  at  the  same  table.  Mrs. 
Robards  was  as  distinguished  for  her  beauty,  her  sweet- 
ness of  temper,  and  her  winning  deportment,  as  was  her 
husband  for  the  possession  of  the  opposite  qualities. 
Through  the  mediation  of  Judge  Overtoil,  Kobards  was 
at  one  time  reconciled  to  his  wife,  rejoined  her  at  Mrs. 
Donelson's,  and  commenced  preparations  for  erecting  a 
cabin,  on  a  tract  of  land  that  he  had  purchased,  in 
which  he  intended  to  reside. 

Jackson  was  then  a  young  man,  frank  and  engaging 
in  his  manners,  and  fond  of  female  society.  He 
undoubtedly  paid  Mrs.  Robards  many  flattering  atten- 
tions, which — neither  thinking  anght  of  evil,  or  cherish- 
ing an  impure  thought — were  reciprocated  as  they 
deserved,  with  kindness  and  friendly  esteem,  but  noth- 
ing more.  So  far  from  rendering  her  husband  more 
morose  and  ill-tempered,  this  should  only  have  led  him 
to  appreciate  better  her  charms  and  social  virtues,  and 
encouraged  him  to  become  more  pleasing  and  agree- 
able. But  lagos  were  not  wanting  to  instill  the  doubts 
and  suspicions  of  jealousy,  had  not  his  gloomy  and  dis- 
trustful temperament  predisposed  him  to  such  impres- 
sions. She  was,  in  consequence,  rendered  very  un- 
happy. On  being  made  acquainted  with  this  fact, 
Jackson  sought  an  interview  with  her  husband,  and 
remonstrated  with  him,  in  a  manly  and  honorable  way. 


XXVI  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

This  was  of  no  avail,  and  he  then  left  Mrs.  Donelson's, 
and  took  board  at  Mansker's  Station. 

The  excited  jealousy  of  the  husband  could  not  be 
allayed,  however ;  and,  in  a  few  months,  he  abandoned 
his  wife  a  second  time,  and  started  for  Kentucky — de- 
claring to  a  companion  on  the  road,  that  he  designed 
never  to  return.  Mrs.  Robards  now  determined  that 
the  separation  should  be  final;  and  on  being  afterwards 
informed  that  he  intended  to  visit  Tennessee  and  take 
her  back  with  him  to  Kentucky,  under  the  advice  of 
her  friends,  she  accompanied  the  family  of  Colonel 
Stark  to  Natchez,  in  the  spring  of  1791.  Stark  was  an 
elderly  man,  and  fearing  that  the  Indians  might  attack 
him,  he  invited  Jackson  to  make  one  of  the  party. 
The  latter,  perhaps  unwisely — though  he  certainly 
never  regretted  it — accepted  the  invitation,  and  de- 
scended the  rivers  with  them,  to  Natchez. 

Robards  had  previously  applied  to  the  Legislature  of 
Virginia  for  a  divorce,  and,  soon  after  the  return  of 
Jackson  to  Nashville,  the  intelligence  was  received  that 
his  application  had  been  granted.  Desirous  of  testify- 
ing to  the  world,  in  the  highest  and  most  solemn  man 
ner,  his  confidence  in  her  purity  and  innocence — pleased 
alike  with  the  charms  of  her  person  and  the  graces  of 
her  mind,  and  deeming  her  at  perfect  liberty  to  form  a 
new  connection,  Jackson  forthwith  repaired  to  Natchez, 
and  tendered  his  hand  to  Mrs.  Robards.  She  at  first 
hesitated,  but  finally  accepted  him.  They  were  married 
In  the  fall,  and  she  returned  with  him  to  the  Cumber- 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  XXV11 

.and,  where  she  was  greeted  with  the  warm  and  affec- 
tionate congratulations  of  her  relatives  and  friends. 

Two  years  after  this  marriage — in  December,  1793, 
— Jackson  was  on  his  way  to  Jonesborough,  with  Judge 
Overton,  when  he  learned,  for  the  first  time,  equally  to 
his  chagrin  and  surprise,  that  the  intelligence  received 
in  1791,  and  upon  which  he  had  acted,  was  incorrect. 
Robards  had,  in  1791,  procured  the  passage  of  an  act  in 
the  Virginia  Legislature,  authorizing  a  suit  to  be  brought 
for  a  divorce  in  a  court  in  Kentucky,  which  suit  had 
just  been  determined  in  his  favor — no  opposition,  of 
course,  being  made  to  the  proceedings.  Communica- 
tions between  the  Atlantic  country  and  the  interior  were 
then  very  irregular,  and  the  exact  particulars  of  the 
affair  were  not  known,  or  inquired  into,  as  it  was  uni- 
versally supposed  in  Tennessee,  that  the  divorce  had 
been  actually  granted.  On  his  return  home,  in  January, 
1794,  Jackson  took  out  a  license,  and  was  now  regu- 
larly married. 

The  circumstances  of  his  acquaintance  and  marriage 
with  Mrs.  Hobards  were  long  after  seized  upon  by  his 
opponents,  when  he  became  connected  with  the  political 
controversies  of  the  day,  as  a  candidate  for  the  presi- 
dency, and  were  made  the  foundation  of  unmerited  and 
groundless  calumnies.  There  were  features  in  the  case, 
which,  unexplained,  might  appear  suspicions ;  but  the 
evidence  of  all  who  were  personally  acquainted  with 
them,  whese  assertions  are  worthy  of  a  moment's  con- 
sideration, acquit  both  parties  of  blame,  and  bear  wit- 


XXV111  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

ness  to  the  correct  demeanor  of  Mrs.  Robards,  and  the 
chivalric  conduct  of  Andrew  Jackson.  "  While  he 
would  have  sacrificed  his  life,"  says  his  biographer,  "  to 
prevent  Mrs.  Robards'  falling  unwillingly  into  the  hands 
of  her  cruel  tormenter,  her  husband  though  he  was,  he 
never  cast  a  look  upon  her,  or  indulged  a  thought,  un- 
worthy of  .the  purest  knight  in  the  days  of  honorable 
chivalry.  But,  when  no  longer  restrained  by  law,  honor 
or  religion,  pity,  admiration,  and  a  species  of  regret, 
though  free  from  guilt,  yet  akin  to  remorse,  kindled 
into  love  as  pure  and  as  holy  as  ever  glowed  in  the  heart 
of  man.  Nor  was  the  object  unworthy  of  this  exalted 
passion.  The  united  testimony  of  all  who  had  the  plea- 
sure of  her  acquaintance,  the  happiness  which  during 
life  she  shed  over  the  domestic  circle,  radiating  into 
the  cabins  of  her  servants  and  the  houses  of  her  neigh- 
bors, and,  above  all,  the  sacred  fervor  with  which  the 
bosom  on  which  she  rested  in  youth,  cherishes  her 
memory,  bear  unequivocal  testimony,  that  she  was  one 
of  the  best  of  those  beings  whom  God  has  given  as  the 
companion  and  solace  of  man." 

After  his  marriage,  Jackson  devoted  himself  with 
more  assiduity  than  ever  to  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion. His  firm  and  independent  course  in  espousing 
the  cause  of  the  creditors,  though  it  elevated  him  in  the 
esteem  of  the  better  part  of  the  community,  rendered 
the  debtors  peculiarly  inimical  towards  him. 

In  the  course  of  his  practice  as  a  lawyer,  Jackson  dis- 
covered that  extensive  frauds  had  been  committed  in 


LIFE  OF  ANDREW  JACKSON.  XX13 

the  .North  Carolina  Land-office,  which  he  deemed  it 
his  duty,  as  the  former  attorney  of  that  State,  to  expose. 
Through  his  instrumentality,  the  perpetrators  were  in- 
dicted and  punished.  Some  of  the  most  prominent  citi- 
zens of  the  western  district  were  directly,  or  indirectly, 
concerned  in  these  transactions,  and  had  profited  largely 
by  them.  Consequently,  he  incurred  their  hostility ; 
and  they  sought  by  every  means  to  injure  him.  In 
the  state  of  society  then  existing,  a  man,  like  him,  ex- 
posed to  the  hatred  of  powerful  enemies,  may  be  said 
to  have  constantly  carried  his  life  in  his  hand.  Unawed 
by  threats,  he  pursued  his  way  steadily  and  unerringly 
— daily  adding  to  the  number  of  his  friends,  and  gain- 
ing ground  in  the  confidence  and  regard  of  the  wise  and 
good. 

The  necessary  preliminary  measures  for  the  formation 
of  a  state  government,  were  taken  by  the  citizens  of 
Tennessee,  in  1795 ;  and  Andrew  Jackson  was  chosen 
one  of  the  delegates  to  the  convention,  without  even 
offering  himself  as  a  candidate.  The  forest  Solons  and 
Numas  composing  that  body,  met  at  Knoxville,  in  the 
wilderness,  on  the  eleventh  of  January,  1796,  and  ad- 
journed on  the  sixth  day  of  February  following;  hav- 
ing in  the  short  space  of  less  than  four  weeks,  framed 
and  adopted  a  state  constitution,  which,  for  its  republi- 
can simplicity,  compared  most  favorably  with  those  of 
other  states. 

On  the  first  day  of  June,  1796,  Tennessee  was  admit 
ed  into  the  Union  as  a  State,  and  became  entitled  to 


XXX  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

one  representative  in  Congress.  Andrew  Jackson  was 
elected  to  the  office,  with  great  unanimity,  and  took 
his  seat  in  the  House  of  Representatives  on  the  fifth 
of  December,  1796.  His  reputation  and  popularity 
continuing  to  increase,  he  was  chosen  a  senator  in  Con- 
gress the  following  year,  when  he  had  just  reached  the 
age  prescribed  by  the  Constitution.  He  appeared  in 
the  Senate  of  the  United  States  on  the  twenty-second 
of  November,  179T.  At  this  session,  the  alien  and 
sedition  laws  were  passed.  Jackson  coincided  and  voted 
with  the  republican  members,  and  was  therefore  in 
the  minority.  During  the  session,  he  became  so  much 
dissatisfied  with  the  course  of  the  administration,  to 
which  he  was  opposed  in  sentiment,  that  he  returned 
home  in  April,  1798,  and  shortly  after  resigned  his  seat. 
He  was  succeeded  by  his  friend  and  neighbor,  Daniel 
Smith. 

Upon  his  resignation  of  the  office  of  senator,  Jackson 
was  appointed,  by  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee,  Judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Law  and  Equity.  The  office 
was  conferred  on  him  unsolicited,  and  was  accepted 
with  reluctance. 

His  first  court  was  held  at  Jonesborough,  at  which  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Russell  Bean  was  indicted  for 
cutting  off  the  ears  of  his  infant  child,  in  a  drunken 
frolic.  The  sheriff  dared  not  arrest  the  offender,  who 
was  notorious  for  his  strength  and  ferocity,  though  pre- 
sent in  the  courtyard,  and  returned  to  the  court,  that 
he  would  not  be  taken.  Judge  Jackson  told  the  officer 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  XXXI 

that  such  a  return  was  an  absurdity,  arid  that  the  man 
must  be  taken,  even  though  it  became  necessary  to 
summon  the  posse  comitatus.  When  the  court  adjourned 
for  dinner,  the  sheriff  summoned  the  judge  and  his  col- 
leagues, as  part  of  the  posse.  Jackson  saw  that  the 
officer  desired  to  avoid  performing  his  duty,  and  there- 
fore accompanied  him.  Learning  that  Bean  was  armed, 
he  provided  himself  with  a  loaded  pistol.  At  sight  of 
him,  the  former  attempted  to  make  his  escape ;  but  the 
judge  directing  him  to  stop  and  submit  to  the  law,  in 
a  tone  that  showed  he  was  not  to  be  trifled  with,  his 
weapons  were  thrown  down,  and  he  quietly  surrendered. 
This  incident  was  not  lost  upon  other  turbulent  spirits 
who  had  previously  treated  courts  and  officers  with 
contempt,  and  nothing  of  the  kind  was  afterwards  at- 
tempted. 

In  1801,  an  election  was  held  by  the  brigadiers  and 
field-officers  of  Major  General  Conway's  division,  to  fill 
the  vacancy  occasioned  by  his  death.  Andrew  Jackson, 
and  John  Sevier,  formerly  governor  of  the  State,  were 
competitors  for  the  office;  and  the  vote  was  equally 
divided  between  them.  The  appointment  then  devolved 
upon  Governor  Roane,  who  wisely  conferred  it  on 
Andrew  Jackson. 

Governor  Sevier  was  connected,  to  some  extent,  witli 
a  combination  of  land  jobbers  at  Nashville,  associated 
together  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  fraudulent 
grants  of  land,  which  Jackson  had  aided  in  breaking 
up.  This  circumstance,  and  the  preference  of  Governor 


XXX11  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

Uoane,  rendered  him  a  most  implacable  enemy  and 
opponent.  In  1803,  he  was  a  candidate  for  re-election 
as  governor,  and  in  the  course  of  the  canvass,  his  anti- 
pathy towards  Judge  Jackson  was  imbibed  by  his  party 
friends.  This  was  particularly  the  case  in  East  Ten- 
nessee. In  the  fall,  the  judge  proceeded  to  Jones 
borough,  to  hold  his  court;  and,  having  been  taken 
seriously  ill  on  the  road,  he  retired  to  his  room,  imme- 
diately after  his  arrival,  and  lay  down  011  the  bed.  In 
a  few  moments  he  was  waited  on  by  a  friend,  who 
begged  him  to  lock  his  door — informing  him  that  a 
large  mob  had  collected,  under  a  Colonel  Harrison,  and 
loudly  threatened  to  tar  and  feather  him.  Jackson 
declined  securing  his  door,  but  throwing  it  wide  open, 
sent  his  friend  to  Colonel  Harrison,  with  the  message, 
that  he  was  ready  to  receive  him  and  his  party,  when- 
ever they  chose  to  wait  on  him,  and  that  he  hoped 
the  colonel's  chivalry  would  induce  him  to  lead  his 
men,  and  not  follow  them.  This  bold  message  operated 
like  a  charm ;  the  mob  dispersed ;  Colonel  Harrison 
apologized  for  his  conduct,  and  thereafter  remained  on 
good  terms  with  Jackson. 

The  next  court  held  by  the  latter,  was  at  Knox- 
ville,  where  the  Legislature  were  then  in  session.  They 
had  just  investigated  the  land  frauds,  of  which  mention 
has  been  made,  and  had  found  some  evidence  tending 
to  implicate  Governor  Sevier.  His  excellency  evinced 
a  great  deal  of  exasperation,  and  on  leaving  the  court- 
house, on  the  first  day  of  the  term,  Judge  Jackson 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  XXX111 

found  a  large  crowd  gathered  in  front  of  the  building, 
in  the  midst  of  which  was  Governor  Sevier,  with  a 
sword  in  his  hand,  haranguing  them  in  a  violent  man- 
ner. An  altercation  ensued  between  them,  in  which 
the  governor  was  the  aggressor,  and  the  judge  sent 
him  a  challenge.  This  was  accepted,  but  the  governor 
failed  to  give  the  promised  meeting,  and  Jackson  at 
once  published  him  in  the  usual  form.  A  second  meet- 
ing was  then  appointed  to  take  place,  though  without 
any  formal  arrangement. 

Jackson  repaired  to  the  designated  spot,  but  the 
governor  failed  to  meet  him.  After  waiting  two  days, 
he  set  out  to  return  to  Knoxville,  but  had  proceeded 
only  a  short  distance,  when  he  encountered  Governor 
Sevier,  escorted  by  about  twenty  men,  and  armed  with 
a  brace  of  pistols  and  a  sword.  His  friend  instantly 
bore  a  challenge  to  the  governor,  who  refused  to  receive 
it.  Jackson  was  provided  with  a  brace  of  pistols  and 
a  cane.  On  the  return  of  his  friend,  with  the  insulting 
message  of  the  governor,  he  levelled  his  cane,  as  the 
knight  in  olden  times  couched  his  spear  in  the  rest, 
and  dashed  furiously  upon  his  opponent.  The  latter 
hastily  dismounted,  in  order  to  avoid  the  shock,  but, 
in  so  doing,  trod  on  the  scabbard  of  his  sword,  and  was 
thus  rendered  incapable  of  resistance.  In  the  gover- 
nor's escort  there  were  mutual  friends  of  both  parties, 
who  interfered  to  prevent  any  further  collision,  and 
Jackson  accompanied  them  back  to  Knoxville. 

Although  Jackson  was  always  prompt  to  defend  him- 


XUE1V  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

self  from  insult  or  injury,  these  altercations  and  disputes 
weie  by  no  means  congenial  to  his  spirit,  and,  antici- 
pating their  more  frequent  recurrence,  for  the  reason 
that  a  number  of  cases,  growing  out  of  the  fraudulent 
land  sales,  were  about  to  be  brought  before  him  for 
decision,  he  concluded  to  retire  from  the  bench ;  and 
his  resignation  was  accepted  by  the  Legislature,  on  the 
twenty-fourth  of  July,  1804,  about  six  years  after  his 
original  appointment. 

Previous  to  his  resignation  of  the  judgeship,  the 
services  of  General  Jackson,  in  a  military  capacity, 
were  invoked  by  the  General  Government,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  threatening  aspect  of  its  relations  with 
Spain,  which  had  taken  umbrage  at  the  purchase  of 
Louisiana  from  France.  Preparations  were  made  to 
reinforce  General  Wilkinson,  then  at  Natchez,  at  the 
head  of  a  small  force,  with  fifteen  hundred  men  from 
the  upper  couLtry,  including  five  hundred  cavalry  from 
Tennessee.  In  October,  1803,  General  Jackson  was 
requested  to  procure,  without  delay,  a  sufficient  number 
of  boats  to  transport  the  troops  to  New  Orleans,  and 
to  keep  them  in  readiness.  The  request  was  complied 
with ;  the  boats  were  procured  ;  and  the  general  ten- 
dered his  services  to  the  government  if  they  should  be 
needed. 

The  firmness,  caution,  and  prudence  of  Jefferson, 
rendered  a  resort  to  arms  unnecessary;  and  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1804,  General  Jackson  sold  the  boats  prepared 
for  the  expedition  down  the  Mississippi.  After  resign 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  XXXV 

ing  the  office  of  judge,  General  Jackson  retired  to  a 
plantation  on  the  Cumberland,  which  he  had  purchased, 
to  enjoy  what  he  had  long  coveted,  the  quiet  scenes  of 
domestic  life,  its  gentleness  and  tranquillity,  and  the 
society  of  his  devoted  wife.  His  fortune  was  not  large, 
hut  amply  sufficient  to  satisfy  his  wants.  He  devoted 
most  of  his  time  to  superintending  the  labor  on  his 
plantation,  setting  an  example  of  methodical  industry 
and  careful  economy,  worthy  of  general  imitation,  and 
often  wielding  the  axe  or  guiding  the  plough,  with  his 
own  hands.  Fond  of  society,  and  frank  and  generous 
by  nature,  he  was  distinguished  far  and  wide  for  his 
hospitality  ;  and  it  was  remarked  of  him,  that  "  though 
he  was  a  private  citizen,  he  was  the  most  public  man 
in  Tennessee." 

A  match  race  was  agreed  upon  by  him,  and  a  Mr. 
Erwin  and  his  son-in-law,  Charles  Dickinson,  between 
their  two  horses,  for  a  wager  of  two  thousand  dollars, 
with  a  forfeiture  of  eight  hundred  dollars,  to  be  paid 
in  cash  notes.  Erwin  and  Dickinson  subsequently  chose 
to  pay  the  forfeit,  and  withdraw  their  horse.  Some 
difficulty  arose  in  regard  to  the  character  of  the  notes 
offered,  but  it  was  finally  adjusted  to  the  apparent 
satisfaction  of  all  parties.  But  the  enemies  of  Jackson 
were  anxious  that  he  should  fight  a  duel  with  Dickin- 
son, who  was  reputed  to  be  the  best  shot  in  the  country. 
Through  them,  the  dispute  was  revived.  Several  pub- 
lications appeared  in  the  newspapers,  Dickinson  grew 
more  and  more  insulting,  and  at  length  made  a  direct 


XXXVI  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

imputation  of  cowardice.  Jackson  could  endure  hia 
provocations  no  longer,  and  on  the  twenty-third  of  May, 
1806,  sent  him  a  challenge.  It  was  accepted  by  Dick- 
inson,, and  the  meeting  was  arranged  to  take  place  at 
Harrison's  Mills,  Kentucky,  on  the  thirtieth  instant. 
.  Dickinson  spent  the  intervening  time  in  practising, 
frequently  boasting  how  often  he  had  hit  his  opponent 
chalked  out  on  a  tree,  and  offering  to  bet  that  he  would 
kill  him.  This  was  reported  to  General  Jackson,  and 
the  effect  on  his  excitable  temperament  may  be  imag- 
ined. The  parties  met,  as  had  been  agreed  on.  At 
the  word,  Dickinson  fired,  and  the  dust  was  seen  to  fly 
from  the  clothes  of  his  antagonist.  Jackson  fired  the 
next  instant,  and  the  other  fell  mortally  wounded. 

Several  years  later — in  the  summer  of  1813 — Gen- 
eral Jackson  was  concerned  in  an  affray  with  Colonel 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  so  well  and  widely  known,  for 
many  successive  years,  as  a  Senator  in  Congress,  from 
the  State  of  Missouri.  The  former  had  acted  as  the 
second  of  Governor  Carroll,  in  a  duel  with  a  brother  of 
Colonel  Benton,  which,  the  latter  thought,  was  incon- 
sistent with  the  friendly  relations  existing  between  him- 
self and  the  general.  An  angry  correspondence  passed ; 
bitter  recriminations  were  made  on  both  sides ;  and 
they  afterwards  encountered  each  other,  and  inter- 
changed shots,  at  a  public  house  in  Nashville.  In  the 
aii'ray,  General  Jackson's  left  arm  was  shattered  by  a 
pistol  shot,  and  he  was  confined  to  hiu  room  for  several 
weeks.  The  embittered  feelings  engendered  during  the 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  XXXVH 

progress  of  this  controversy,  were  cherished  for  many 
years  after  the  encounter,  but  they  were  subsequently 
entirely  allayed,  and  when  General  Jackson  became 
President  of  the  United  States,  he  had  no  firmer  sup- 
porter or  warmer  friend  than  Colonel  Benton. 

Not  long  after  General  Jackson  retired  to  private 
Jife,  he  entered  into  partnership  with  a  merchant  in 
Nashville.  For  a  time  their  business  appeared  to  be 
prosperous ;  Jackson  took  no  active  part  in  its  manage- 
ment, but  trusted  everything  to  his  associate.  Some 
slight  circumstances  at  length  aroused  his  fears,  and 
upon  examination  he  found  that  the  firm  was  not  only 
insolvent,  but  that  their  liabilities  exceeded  their  as- 
sets, by  many  thousand  dollars.  But  one  course — that 
dictated  by  honor  and  right — could  be  pursued.  He 
instantly  closed  the  business,  sold  his  fine  plantation 
where  he  lived,  and  paid  off  the  debts  of  the  firm,  and 
removed  to  a  log  cabin  on  another  plantation,  to  begin 
the  world  anew.  By  the  exercise  of  strict  economy 
and  prudence,  in  a  few  years  he  once  more  gathered 
around  him  the  fruits  of  prosperous  industry. 

The  period  now  arrived  which  Jackson  had  long  an- 
ticipated. War  was  declared  against  the  enemy  of  his 
country  and  his  race,  on  the  eighteenth  of  June,  1812.  It 
is  easy  to  conceive  the  emotions  which  the  intelligence 
must  have  awakened  in  his  bosom.  Ilecollections  of  the 
past  came  rushing  and  thronging  into  his  mind.  The 
cycles  of  Time  rolled  backward.  Again  he  stood  upon 
the  threshold  of  his  desolate  home— on  "  the  forest-clad 


XXXV111  LIFE  OF  ANDREW  JACKSON. 

banks  of  the  Catawba" — orphaned  by  the  cruelty  of 
British  officers  and  agents.  Let  him  not  be  reproached, 
f  motives  of  revenge  quickened  and  sharpened  his  patri- 
otism. His  desire  for  vengeance  was  almost  holy  in  its 
Character — it  was  based  on  fraternal  affection,  on  filial 
love! 

When  the  tocsin  of  war  was  Bounded,  the  glad,  pro- 
longed echoes,  came  up  from  every  valley  and  hamlet ; 
but  in  no  quarter  of  the  country  was  the  response  more 
enthusiastic,  than  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  Gen- 
eral Jackson  immediately  issued  a  stirring  address  to 
his  division,  twenty-five  hundred  men  of  which  volun- 
teered to  follow  wheresoever  he  saw  fit  to  lead  them. 
A  tender  of  their  services  was  made  to  the  President, 
through  Governor  Blount,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  June, 
which  was  accepted  on  the  eleventh  of  July. 

On  the  first  of  November,  Governor  Blount  issued  an 
order,  in  conformity  with  a  requisition  from  the  "War 
Department,  directing  him  to  organize  and  equip  fifteen 
hundred  infantry  and  riflemen,  with  whom  he  was 
instructed  to  descend  the  river  to  New  Orleans,  and 
reinforce  General  Wilkinson,  then  commanding  that 
department.  The  necessary  proclamation  was  issued, 
and,  on  the  tenth  of  December,  upwards  of  two  thou- 
sand men  rendezvoused  at  Nashville,  many  of  whom 
had  come  miles  upon  miles,  through  cold,  and  sleet,  and 
snow,  undaunted  by  the  rigors  of  the  climate,  and  intent 
only  on  obeying  the  call  of  their  country.  On  the  thir- 
teenth instant,  the  organization  of  the  command,  which 


LIFE  OF  ANDREW   JACKSON. 

consisted  of  one  regiment  of  cavalry,  not  embraced  in 
the  requisition,  but  enrolled  with  the  consent  of  Gover- 
nor Blount,  under  Colonel  Coffee,  and  two  regiments  of 
infantry,  under  Colonels  Hall  and  T.  H.  Benton,  was 
fully  completed. 

On  the  thirty-first  of  December,  Colonel  Coffee  com- 
menced his  march  with  the  mounted  men,  six  hundred 
and  seventy  strong,  by  the  overland  route,  to  Natchez. 
On  the  seventh  and  eighth  of  January,  1813,  General 
Jackson  embarked  on  the  Cumberland,  in  flat  boats, 
with  the  two  infantry  regiments,  numbering  about  four- 
teen hundred.  Descending  the  river  slowly — his  pro- 
gress being  constantly  impeded  by  large  masses  of  float- 
ing ice — he  reached  Natchez  on  the  fifteenth  of  Febru- 
ary, near  which  he  found  the  cavalry  under  Colonel 
Coffee. 

At  this  point,  General  Jackson  was  met  by  a  request 
from  General  Wilkinson,  whose  headquarters  were  at 
New  Orleans,  to  halt  his  command,  and  report  to  him 
his  force  and  instructions.  Wilkinson  held  the  rank  of 
brigadier  general  in  the  regular  army,  with  the  brevet 
of  major  general ;  and  it  is  not  unlikely,  that  he  sus- 
pected it  was  the  intention  of  the  government,  that 
Jackson  should  supersede  him.  His  request,  doubtless, 
was  prompted  by  this  apprehension.  As  there  was  no 
indication  of  an  attack  on  New  Orleans,  Jackson  cheer- 
fully complied  with  it.  Natchez  was  a  much  more  salu- 
brious position  for  his  troops,  and  having  disembarked 
them,  he  marched  to  Washington,  a  few  miles  distant, 


x  LIFE   OF   ANDEEW   JACKSON. 

where  a  cantonment  had  been  previously  established 
by  a  corps  of  regulars.  The  troops  were  placed  in  com- 
fortable quarters,  and  a  strong  guard  was  detailed  to 
protect  the  boats  at  Natchez. 

Camp  regulations  were  now  adopted,  and  strict  orders 
issued  by  the  commanding  general,  to  proceed  with  the 
discipline  and  instruction  of  the  troops.  Becoming  im- 
patient for  active  duty,  he  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of 
War  on  the  first  of  March,  suggesting  the  employment 
of  his  force  on  the  northern  frontier,  if  there  was  no 
prospect  of  invasion  in  the  south,  or  if  Congress  did  not 
authorize  the  taking  possession  of  Florida.  This  sug- 
gestion was  repeated  in  a  second  letter,  written  on  the 
seventh  of  March.  Before  these  letters  reached  Wash- 
ington, an  order  had  been  issued  from  the  War  Depart- 
ment, directing  him,  on  the  receipt  thereof,  to  consider 
his  force  dismissed  from  the  service,  and  to  take  mea- 
sures for  the  delivery  of  all  articles  of  public  property  in 
his  possession,  to  General  Wilkinson.  This  unfeeling 
mandate  concluded  with  a  cold  tender  of  thanks  to  him- 
self and  the  corps  under  his  command. 

Deeply  chagrined  though  he  was,  at  the  result  of  the 
expedition  to  Natchez,  General  Jackson  was  still  anx- 
ious to  take  part  in  the  active  scenes  of  the  war.  The 
disasters  on  the  northern  frontier,  in  1812,  and  the  fail- 
ure of  the  projected  winter  campaign  under  Harrison, 
in  consequence  of  the  incautious  advance  of  General 
Winchester  to  Frenchtown,  had  produced  a  deep  im 
pression  on  his  mind.  His  proud  spirit  smarted  under 


LIFE   OF  ANDREW   JACKSON.  ill 

the  discredit  of  defeat ;  and,  on  the  eighth  of  April, 
when  on  his  way  home,  he  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of 
War,  informing  him  that  he  should  be  glad  to  execute 
any  orders  of  the  government  in  Canada,  with  his  de- 
tachment, which  could  be  augmented,  if  necessary.  "  I 
have  a  few  standards,"  said  he,  "  wearing  the  American 
eagle,  that  I  should  be  happy  to  place  upon  the  ramparts 
of  Maiden." 

Within  a  few  months  after  his  return  from  Natchez, 
General  Jackson  was  again  called  from  his  retirement, 
to  lead  a  large  body  of  troops  into  the  Indian  country  on 
the  southern  borders  of  Tennessee. 

On  the  thirtieth  day  of  August,  1813,  Fort  Mims, 
about  forty  miles  from  Mobile,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Alabama  river,  and  a  short  distance  above  its  junction 
with  the  Tombigbee,  was  surprised  by  a  party  of  Creeks, 
seven  hundred  strong,  under  their  chief,  Weatherford  ; 
the  garrison  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the 
1st  Mississippi  volunteers,  under  Major  Beasely,  and 
twenty  white  families  who  had  taken  refuge  in  the  fort, 
with  their  negroes,  in  all  about  three  hundred  and  fifty 
persons,  were  cruelly  massacred.  But  seventeen  of  the 
whites  made  their  escape.  The  perpetration  of  this 
horrid  tragedy  excited  the  nfynost  consternation  at  tho 
forts  and  stations  on  the  Tombigbee,  of  which  there  were 
nearly  twenty  within  a  distance  of  seventy  miles  above 
Fort  Stoddart.  Most  of  the  forts  were  abandoned,  and 
the  affrighted  fugitives  fled  down  the  river  to  Mobile, 
which  was  itself  extremely  insecure. 


Xlll  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

General  Olaiborne,  and  Governor  Holmes  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi Territory,  immediately  called  out  a  small  militia 
force — all  that  it  was  in  their  power  to  bring  into  the  field 
• — for  the  protection  of  the  Mobile  country.  In  Tennessee 
the  alarm  was  universal,  and  the  whole  population  were 
aroused.  But  little  aid  could  be  expected  from  the 
General  Government,  all  whose  means  and  energies 
were  employed  in  the  prosecution  of  the  northern  cam- 
paign, and  the  defence  of  the  Atlantic  coast  from  the 
ravages  of  the  more  civilized,  but  not  less  brutal  enemy. 
A  public  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Nashville  was  held 
on  the  eighteenth  of  September,  at  which  resolutions 
were  passed,  urgently  recommending  the  adoption,  by 
the  State  Legislature,  of  prompt  measures  for  the  inva- 
sion of  the  Creek  country.  In  accordance  therewith, 
an  act  was  passed  on  the  twenty-fifth  instant,  authoriz- 
ing the  governor  to  call  out  thirty-five  hundred  men,  in 
addition  to  the  fifteen  hundred  already  required  by  the 
General  Government,  who  were  to  be  immediately  put 
in  service,  and  pledging  the  faith  of  the  State  to  pay 
them,  if  Congress  should  refuse.  A  resolution  was  also 
adopted  on  the  twenty-seventh  instant,  directing  the 
governor  to  tender  the  services  of  the  Tennessee  troops 
to  the  United  States. 

The  public  sentiment,  with  one  accord,  fixed  upon 
Andrew  Jackson  as  the  leader  of  this  force.  He  was 
Btill  confined  to  his  room,  on  account  of  the  arm  frac- 
£ured  in  the  affray  with  Colonel  Benton,  which  has  been 
mentioned ;  but  when  his  country  called  him  to  the 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  xlili 

field,  he  was  ready  to  obey  her  behest.  On  the  twenty- 
fourth  of  September,  Governor  Blount  directed  him  to 
call  out,  without  delay,  two.thousand  men  of  his  divi- 
sion, to  rendezvous  at  Fayetteville — and  to  order  Colo- 
nel Coffee  into  immediate  service,  with  five  hundred 
cavalry  previously  raised.  The  necessary  instnictions 
were  issued,  on  the  same  day,  to  Colonel  Coffee,  who 
was  further  instructed,  to  incorporate  with  his  regiment 
any  companies  of  volunteer  riflemen  that  might  present 
themselves.  He  also  ordered  into  service  the  volunteers 
who  had  accompanied  him  to  Natchez,  together  with 
one  thousand  militia  from  his  division. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  of  September,  General  Jackson 
directed  a  part  of  the  cavalry  to  repair  to  Iluntsville,  by 
forced  marches.  On  the  twenty-sixth,  Colonel  Coffee 
was  ordered  to  move  upon  the  same  point  and  wait  fur- 
ther orders,  and  on  the  twenty-eighth,  he  was  instructed 
to  proceed  to  Fort  St.  Stephen's,  which  was  said  to  be 
threatened  by  the  enemy.  The  state  of  his  health 
did  not  permit  the  general  to  appear  at  Fayette- 
ville on  the  fourth  of  October,  the  day  appointed 
for  the  rendezvous ;  but  he  was  represented  on  that 
occasion,  by  his  aid,  Major  Reid,  through  whom  he  de- 
livered to  the  assembled  troops  a  most  eloquent  and 
spirited  address.  On  the  seventh  instant  he  reached 
the  place  of  rendezvous,  with  his  arm  in  a  sling,  where 
he  found  a  dispatch  from  Colonel  Coffee,  who  had 
inarched  a  short  distance  beyond  Huntsville,  with  near 
thirteen  hundred  men,  informing  him  that  the  Creeks 


LIFE  OF   ANDREW  JACKSON. 

had  divided  their  forces — one  portion  moving  towards 
the  Georgia  line,  and  the  other  advancing  upon  the 
frontiers  of  Tennessee — and  that,  in  consequence  of  this, 
he  had  not  proceeded  to  Fort  St.  Stephen's. 

Had  they  not  been  grossly  deceived  and  deluded  by 
their  prophets,  the  Creeks  could  never  have  hoped  to 
accomplish  anything  against  this  formidable  array. 
Indeed  they  seem  to  have  been  strangely  infatuated 
throughout ;  for,  instead  of  concentrating  their  whole 
force  in  an  attack  on  Mobile,  or  the  Mississippi  or 
Georgia  troops,  neither  of  whom  were  yet  fully  pre- 
pared for  the  field,  they  advanced  with  their  main 
body,  weakened  by  a  detachment  sent  towards  the 
frontiers  of  Georgia,  against  the  column  under  General 
Jackson,  who  was  ready  to  meet  them  at  any  odds,  and 
determined  to  defeat,  when  he  did  meet  them.  It  is 
not  probable  that  the  British  agents  who  instigated 
the  Creeks  to  hostilities,  anticipated  that  the  latter 
would  achieve  any  certain  success.  They  only  sup- 
posed that  the  savages  would  hold  the  Americans  at 
bay,  until  a  British  army  could  be  brought  to  succor 
them.  The  resistless  energy  and  perseverance  of  Gen- 
eral Jackson,  defeated  any  such  project.  Long  before 
England  was  able  to  dispatch  a  considerable  force  to 
the  Gulf,  he  had  fallen  upon  the  Creeks  like  a  thun- 
derbolt, scattered  their  warriors,  who  escaped  tho 
deadly  aim  of  his  rifles  like  chaff  before  the  wind, 
spread  terror  and  devastation  through  their  settlements, 
and  forced  them,  as  suppliants,  humbly  to  beg  for  peace. 


LIFE  OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

In  two  days,  General  Jackson  reached  Wills'  Creek, 
a  tributary  of  the  Coosa,  where  he  encamped  till  the 
morning  of  the  twenty-ninth,  to  collect  corn  from  the 
neighboring  Indians — his  army  being  entirely  out  of 
bread.  On  the  twenty-eighth  instant,  Lieutenant  Colo- 
nel Dyer  was  detached  with  two  hundred  cavalry, 
against  the  village  of  Littefutchee,  which  he  attacked 
the  following  night;  the  village  was  burned,  twenty- 
nine  prisoners  were  taken ;  and  considerable  com,  and 
a  number  of  beeves  were  collected  from  the  vicinity. 
While  at  Wills'  Creek,  Jackson  was  again  obliged  to 
remove  his  contractors  and  employ  others.  On  the 
thirtieth  instant,  he  reorganized  his  troops.  General 
Hall  was  placed  in  command  of  the  first  brigade,  con- 
sisting of  the  first  and  second  regiments  of  volunteer 
infantry,  under  Colonels  Bradley  and  Pillow;  and 
General  Roberts  in  command  of  the  second  brigade, 
consisting  of  the  first  and  second  militia  regiments, 
under  Colonels  Wynne  and  M'Crory.  General  Coffee, 
promoted  from  colonel,  was  placed  in  command  of  the 
cavalry  brigade,  which  consisted  of  the  volunteer  regi- 
ment, Colonel  Alcorn,  and  the  mounted  rifles,  Colonel 
Cannon. 

The  march  was  then  resumed  for  the  Ten  Islands. 
While  General  JacksoA  was  cutting  his  way  over  the 
Coosa  mountain,  General  Coffee  was  ordered  to  cross 
the  river,  at  the  fish-dams,  with  one  thousand  men  of 
his  brigade,  to  scour  the  country  in  the  direction  of  the 
Ten  Islands,  and  attack  the  Indian  town  of  Talluschat- 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

chee,  about  thirteen  miles  distant  in  an  easterly  direc- 
tion, where  a  large  force  of  the  enemy  had  collected. 
The  orders  issued  to  General  Coffee  were  gallantly 
executed.  On  the  morning  of  the  third  of  November 
he  approached  the  town ;  the  savages  in  vain  attempted 
to  oppose  his  march ;  and  they  were  driven  rapidly 
back  upon  their  buildings,  in  and  about  which  a  fierce 
and  bloody  contest  took  place,  that  terminated  in  their 
complete  rout  and  overthrow.  Both  men  and  women 
fought  with  the  utmost  desperation.  One  hundred  and 
eighty-six  of  the  enemy,  including  one  of  their  prophets, 
and  a  number  of  women  and  children  were  found  dead 
on  the  field  of  battle  :  and  there  were  eighty-four  taken 
prisoners,  all  of  whom  were  women  and  children.  Gen- 
eral Coffee  had  five  men  killed,  and  fourteen  wounded. 
Having  destroyed  the  town  and  buried  his  dead,  he 
rejoined  the  main  army,  at  the  Ten  Islands,  in  the  even- 
ing of  the  same  day,  with  his  wounded  and  prisoners. 

Harassed  by  constant  care  and  anxiety — exposed, 
at  every  turn  to  vexatious  delays  and  hindrances,  that 
fretted  and  annoyed  him — General  Jackson  never  lost 
that  kindness  and  gentleness  of  spirit,  which  bloomed, 
bright  and  pure,  amid  the  intenser  passions  that  burned 
and  blazed  around  it.  Among  the  prisoners  taken  at 
Talluschatchee,  was  an  infant  boy  found  clinging  to 
the  breast  of  his  dead  mother.  He  was  brought  to 
camp  with  the  others,  and  General  Jackson  endeavored 
to  hire  some  of  the  captive  women  to  take  care  of  him. 
They  refused,  saying,  "  All  his  relations  are  dead ;  kill 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

him  too!" — Jackson  then  caused  him  to  be  fed  with 
sweetened  water,  and  afterwards  sent  him  to  Hunts- 
ville,  where  he  was  nursed  at  his  expense.  After  the 
close  of  the  campaign,  he  took  the  little  orphan,  who 
was  named  Lincoyer,  home  with  him  to  the  Hermitage, 
where  he  was  reared  and  educated  with  parental  care 
and  kindness.  At  a  proper  age,  he  was  apprenticed  to 
a  saddler  in  Nashville :  but'  he  never  lost  his  Indian 
tastes.  His  health  began  to  fail  before  he  reached  the 
age  of  manhood,  and  he  was  removed  to  the  Hermitage. 
He  sunk  rapidly  into  a  consumption,  and  eoon  died, 
sincerely  mourned  and  lamented  by  the  general  and 
his  wife,  who  had  watched  over  his  sick  bed  with  un- 
tiring assiduity. 

At  the  Ten  Islands,  General  Jackson  established  a 
post,  called  Fort  Strother,  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Coosa,  opposite  the  mouth  of  Talluschatchee  creek. 
The  prisoners  brought  in  by  General  Coffee  were  forth- 
with sent  to  Huntsville.  No  supplies  had  yet  arrived ; 
the  army  could  not  be  furnished  with  regular  rations  - 
and  it  was  hardly  known  one  day  what  they  were  to 
subsist  on  the  next.  Once  more  the  commanding  gen- 
eral appealed  to  the  contractors,  by  every  consideration 
of  humanity  and  patriotism,  to  forward  the  provisions, 
which  could  alone  save  his  troops  from  starvation.  He 
likewise  again  wrote  to  General  White,  who  had  ar- 
rived at  Turkey  Town,  twenty-live  miles  above  Fort 
Strother,  to  join  him  immediately.  His  dispatch  was 
written  on  the  seventh  of  November,  and,  late  in  the 


Xlviii  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

evening,  before  it  was  closed,  a  runner  came  in  from 
Lashly's  Fort,  at  Talladega,  about  thirty  miles  south  of 
Fort  Strother,  and  a  short  distance  east  of  the  Coosa, 
with  the  intelligence  that  a  large  body  of  Red  Sticks 
had  encamped  near  that  place,  which  was  occupied  by 
friendly  Indians,  and  were  preparing  to  destroy  it  and 
the  inmates.  General  Jackson  could  not  hesitate  to 
grant  the  desired  succor.  He  determined  to  march 
forthwith ;  the  urgent  circumstances  which  induced 
him  to  advance,  were  mentioned  in  the  dispatch  to 
General  White ;  and  the  latter  was  entreated  to  lose  no 
time  in  reaching  Fort  Strother,  to  protect  his  depot  and 
cover  his  rear. 

Marching  orders  were  issued  in  a  few  moments  after 
the  arrival  of  the  runner,  and  at  midnight  General 
Jackson  was  on  the  inarch  for  Talladega,  with  his  whole 
disposable  force,  consisting  of  twelve  hundred  infantry, 
and  eight  hundred  cavalry  and  mounted  rifles.  His 
sick,  wounded,  and  baggage,  were  left  at  Fort  Strother. 
Crossing  the  Coosa  in  the  night,  he  pressed  forward 
with  such  celerity — officers  and  men  vying  with  each 
other  in  zeal — that,  on  the  evening  of  the  eighth  instant, 
he  encamped  within  six  miles  of  the  Fort  at  Talladega, 
which  was  occupied  by  one  hundred  and  sixty  friendly 
warriors,  with  their  women  and  children.  About  mid- 
night the  chief  Chenubby  arrived  from  Turkey  Town, 
with  a  letter  from  General  White,  informing  General 
Jackson  that  he  had  received  an  order  from  his  division 
commander,  General  Cocke,  to  join  him  at  Chattooga, 


LIFE   OF   ANDliEW   JACKSON. 

higher  up  the  Coosa,  and  that  he  could  not,  therefore, 
advance  to  Fort  Strother. 

Jackson's  cup  of  disappointment  was  almost  full. 
Neither  General  Cocke  nor  General  White  wanted  in 
patriotism ;  but  they  seem,  more  particularly  the  for- 
mer, to  have  been  impressed  with  the  belief,  that  by 
remaining  aloof  from  General  Jackson,  they  would 
secure  a  larger  share  of  the  honors  of  the  campaign. 
It  seems  almost  painful  to  contemplate  the  struggles  of 
the  proud  and  ambitious  spirit  constantly  thwarted  by 
their  unwise  movements.  Had  they  joined  him.  at 
once,  the  war  would  have  been  brought  to  a  close  in  a 
few  weeks :  but  they  preferred  to  linger  behind,  in 
safety  and  security,  eating  up  the  provisions  better 
deserved  by  those  who  were  enduring  the  severest 
fatigues  and  privations ;  and  when  they  recovered  from 
their  inactivity,  and  advanced  to  strike  a  blow,  it  proved 
to  be  the  only  unfortunate  one  of  the  whole  campaign. 

The  dispatch  from  General  White  made  no  change, 
however,  in  the  determination  of  General  Jackson.  He 
resolved  to  dispose  of  the  enemy  in  his  front,  and  then 
fall  back,  with  all  possible  speed,  to  Fort  Strother,  be- 
fore the  enemy  would  have  time  to  profit  by  its  defence- 
less condition.  The  prospect  before  his  troops  was 
disheartening  in  the  extreme  ;  if  they  conquered,  there 
would  be  no  food  to  refresh  or  reinvigorate  them  ;  yet 
his  example  inspired  them  with  confidence,  and  they 
obeyed  his  commands  without  hesitation  or  reluct- 
ance. 


1  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

Long  before  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  ninth  of 
November,  the  army  was  again  in  motion.  Silently 
threading  their  way  through  the  luxuriant  forests,  wind- 
ing over  the  hills,  and  crossing  the  rich  intervals,  that 
separated  them  from  the  enemy,  they  approached  their 
position.  Within  a  mile,  they  were  halted,  and  formed 
in  order  of  battle.  The  infantry  brigades  were  placed 
in  the  centre,  General  Hall's  on  the  right,  and  General 
Roberts'  on  the  left.  They  were  flanked,  on  the  right, 
by  Colonel  Alcorn's  volunteer  cavalry,  and,  on  the  left, 
by  the  mounted  Rifles  of  Colonel  Cannon.  An  advanc- 
ed corps  of  riflemen,  spies,  and  artillery,  was  formed 
under  Colonel  Carroll,  the  inspector-general,  and  a  strong 
reserve  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  under  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Dyer. 

At  eight  o'clock,  the  attack  was  ordered ;  and  the 
whole  column  moved  rapidly  forward,  all  full  of  anima- 
tion and  enthusiasm.  Colonel  Carroll  preceded  the 
main  body,  with  the  advance,  having  received  orders 
to  rouse  the  enemy  from  the  thicket  on  the  banka  of  a 
small  rivulet,  in  which  they  had  concealed  themselves, 
and  then  to  retire  towards  the  centre.  The  sharp  quick 
report  of  his  rifles,  and  the  hideous  yells  and  screams, 
soon  apprised  the  remainder  of  the  column  that  the 
savages  had  been  started  from  their  cover.  Meantime, 
the  infantry  regiments,  which  had  previously  advanced 
by  heads  of  companies,  had  deployed,  in  accordance 
with  the  orders  of  General  Jackson,  and  the  cavalry 
were  extending  themselves,  to  the  right  and  left,  so  as 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  11 

to  encircle  the  enemy.  The  orders  issued  by  the  com- 
manding General  required  the  cavalry  to  keep  up  their 
connection  with  the  flanks  of  the  infantry.  This  was 
neglected  on  the  right,  and  the  plan  of  attack,  which 
was  most  skillfully  formed,  was  partially  defeated  by  thia 
untoward  circumstance.  Colonel  Bradley,  the  officer 
commanding  the  infantry  regiment  on  the  right,  also 
halted  his  men  on  a  rising  ground,  before  he  came  in 
contact  with  the  enemy,  and  the  gap  was  thereby  con- 
siderably widened. 

When  the  fronts  of  the  cavalry  columns  met  on  the 
further  side  of  the  enemy,  they  faced  inwardly,  and  a 
general  rush  was  made  towards  the  centre.  The  Indians 
did  not  appear  inclined  to  fly,  at  first,  but  made  a  bold 
onset  upon  the  right  wing  of  General  Roberts'  brigade. 
Three  of  the  companies,  after  delivering  their  fire,  be- 
gan to  stagger,  and  finally  fell  back  in  the  rear.  Colo- 
ne.1  Bradley  was  then  ordered  to  advance  with  his 
regiment,  and  fill  up  the  vacancy.  This  he  declined 
doing  ;  and  General  Jackson,  much  against  his  will,  as 
he  designed  the  reserve  to  pursue  the  enemy  if  they  at- 
tempted to  escape,  was  forced  to  direct  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Dyer  to  dismount  his  men,  and  engage  them. 
Observing  this  movement,  the  retiring  militia  rallied 
and  did  good  service. 

The  action  was  not  of  long  continuance.  The  savages 
could  not  withstand  the  destructive  fire  poured  in  upon 
them  from  every  side,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  they  com- 
menced flying  hither  and  thither,  within  the  circle, 


lil  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

seeking  some  avenue  of  escape.  "Whichsoever  way  they 
turned,  they  encountered  the  rifle  and  the  bayonet.  At 
length,  ihey  discovered  the  opening  between  Colonel 
Alcorn's  regiment  of  cavalry,  on  the  right,  and  the 
volunteers  of  Colonel  Bradley.  Through  this  numbers 
of  them  dashed,  hotly  pursued  by  both  cavalry  and 
infantry,  who  followed  them  for  nearly  three  miles, 
strewing  the  ground  throughout  the  whole  distance  with 
their  dead  bodies.  The  Indian  force  numbered  one 
thousand  and  eighty  warriors,  of  whom  two  hundred 
and  ninety-nine  were  found  killed  on  the  field  of  battle, 
and  many  more  must  have  perished  in  the  woods.  The 
Americans  lost  but  fifteen  killed,  and  eighty-five  wound- 
ed, some  of  the  latter  mortally. 

General  Jackson  complimented  his  troops,  in  the 
highest  terras,  for  their  gallantry  in  this  action.  All 
the  officers,  with  the  exception  of  Colonel  Bradley,  who 
was  placed  under  arrest,  but  afterwards  released,  were 
mentioned  in  his  dispatches  in  terms  of  marked  appro- 
bation. 

An  instant  retreat  to  Fort  Strother  was  now  neces- 
sary. The  horses  were  suffering  for  the  want  of  forage, 
and  the  men  were  half-famished,  when  they  turned 
their  backs  on  the  field  of  victory,  and  commenced  their 
retrograde  march.  Jackson  was  with  the  van  of  the 
army,  and  on  the  way  discovered  a  quantity  of  acorns 
lying  on  the  ground.  .Dismounting  from  his  horse, 
he  threw  the  bridle  over  his  arm,  and,  having  gathered 
a  few  of  the  nuts,  sat  down  on  the  roots  of  a  tree  to  eat 


LITE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  Kii 

them.  He  was  thus  engaged  in  satisfying  his  hunger, 
when  a  soldier  approached  him,  and  demanded  some- 
thing to  eat.  "  I  never  turn  away  the  hungry,"  said  the 
general,  "while  I  have  anything  to  give  them."  lie 
then  offered  the  soldier  a  few  acorns,  adding  "  I  will 
most  cheerfully  divide  with  you  such  food  as  I  have." 
Mortified  and  surprised,  the  man  shrunk  back  among 
his  companions,  who  thereafter  repressed  every  dispo- 
sition to  murmur  or  complain. 

The  army  reached  Fort  Strother  on  the  evening  of 
the  eleventh  of  November,  but  it  was  only  to  be  once 
more  disappointed.  No  provisions,  except  the  limited 
quantities  forwarded  by  the  contractors,  had  yet  arrived ; 
and  the  private  stores  of  the  general  had  been  almost 
exhausted,  in  order  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  sick  and 
wounded.  Still  he  assumed  a  cheerful  and  confident 
tone,  though  sad  enough  at  heart,  and  resorting  to  the 
slaughter-pens,  provided  himself  with  tripes  with  which 
he  made  what  he  termed  a  comfortable  repast.  His  ex- 
ample was  imitated  by  the  soldiers,  who  seemed  inclined 
willingly  to  endure  the  hardships  of  the  campaign. 

But  matters  could  not  long  continue  in  this  situation. 
The  battles  of  Talluschatchee  and  Talladega  had  satis- 
fied, to  a  considerable  degree,  the  desire  for  adventure 
which  had  previously  animated  the  troops  in  the  midst 
of  the  most  embarrassing  difficulties,  and  they  soon  be- 
gan to  pine  for  the  comforts  of  home.  Starvation  was 
far  more  terrible  to  them  than  "  an  army  with  banners." 
They  were  brave — this  could  not  be  doubted — and 


v  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JA.CKSON. 

they  would  have  gladly  followed  their  general  into  the 
very  heart  of  the  Creek  country,  if  they  could  only  have 
been  assured  that  a  reasonable  supply  of  food  would  be 
provided  ;  of  the  two  enemies  whom  they  met  in  the 
wilderness,  they  feared  the  savage  least ;  and  was  it  not 
asking  too  much  that  they  should  encounter  both  ? 

On  the  sixteenth,  General  Jackson  commenced  his 
preparations  for  the  abandonment  of  Fort  Strother ;  but, 
on  reflecting  how  much  this  movement  would  reinspirit 
the  savages,  he  declared  that  he  would  not  leave  the 
post,  if  only  two  men  would  remain  with  him.  Captain 
Gordon,  of  the  spies,  instantly  volunteered  to  be  one 
of  his  companions,  and  through  his  exertions,  and 
those  of  some  of  the  members  of  the  general  staff, 
one  hundred  and  nine  men  were  found  who  agreed  to 
stay. 

Feeling  confident,  however,  that  supplies  were  close 
at  hand,  General  Jackson  marched  with  the  militia,  ap- 
prising them,  in  advance,  that  they  would  be  ordered 
back  if  his  expectations  should  be  realized.  "Within 
ten  or  twelve  miles  of  the  fort,  they  met  one  hundred 
and  fifty  beeves.  The  column  at  once  halted  ;  the  cat- 
tle were  knocked  down,  and  eagerly  cooked  and  eaten 
by  the  half-starved  troops.  But  when  the  order  to  re- 
turn was  issued,  none  obeyed  it.  One  company,  indeed, 
had  resumed  the  march,  before  the  general  discovered 
the  mutinous  disposition  which  prevailed  among  the 
troops.  He  immediately  dashed  ahead  of  the  men  who 
were  moving  off,  and  with  General  Coffee,  a  part  of  the 


LIFE  OF   ANDBEW  JACKSON.  Iv 

staff,  and  a  lew  soldiers,  formed  a  line  across  -the  road, 
and  declared  that  he  would  fire  on  them  if  they  endea- 
vored to  pass.  Well  knowing  that  he  was  not  the  man 
to  forfeit  his  word,  they  fell  back  to  the  main  body,  who 
were  soon  discovered  to  be  likewise  infected  with  the 
spirit  of  mutiny.  Arguments  and  entreaties  proved  of 
no  avail — the  troops  all  formed,  and  were  on  the  point 
of  continuing  their  march  to  Fort  Deposit.  As  a  last 
resort,  the  general  snatched  a  musket,  threw  it  across 
the  neck  of  his  horse,  and  placing  himself  in  front  of 
the  column,  declared  that  he  would  shoot  down  the  first 
man  who  moved  a  single  step  in  advance. 

The  piece  which  General  Jackson  had  seized  was  too 
much  out  of  order  to  be  fired,  and  his  arm  was  so  weak 
that  he  could  not  aim  it  with  any  precision  ;  but  the  men 
before  him  knew  nothing  of  this,  or,  if  they  did,  thought 
not  of  it.  They  only  saw  his  flashing  eye,  and  his  de- 
termined look.  General  Coffee  and  some  of  the  staff 
took  their  places  in  silence  beside  him.  Two  faith- 
ful companies  also  formed  in  his  rear.  All  were  ready 
to  fire  when  he  gave  the  signal.  For  several  moments 
not  a  word  was  uttered.  At  length  the  power  of  num- 
bers quailed  before  the  iron  will,  the  moral  greatness  of 
that  one  man.  The  mutineers  signified  their  willing- 
ness to  return,  and  in  a  short  time  they  were  retracing 
their  steps  to  Fort  Strother. 

While  General  Jackson  was  engaged  in  quelling  the 
disturbances  in  his  camp,  the  East  Tennesseans,  under 
General  White,  were  proceeding  against  the  Hillabee 


vi  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

towns,  the  warriors  from  which  had  been  present  at  the 
battle  of  Talladega.  Intimidated  by  the  result  of  this 
action,  they  had  applied  to  General  Jackson,  on  the 
thirteenth  of  November,  for  terms  of  peace.  On  the 
seventeenth  he  replied,  making  known  to  them  the  con- 
ditions upon  which  their  request  would  be  granted. 
On  the  same  night,  General  White,  who  had  been 
detached  for  this  service  by  General  Cocke,  on  the 
eleventh  of  November,  with  all  his  cavalry  and 
mounted  infantry,  approached  the  principal  Hillabee 
village,  having  previously  destroyed  Little  Oakfuskie, 
Genalga,  and  Netta  Chaptoa.  At  daylight  the  town 
was  surprised,  sixty  warriors  were  killed,  and  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  taken  prisoners,  without  the  loss  of  a 
drop  of  blood  on  the  part  of  General  White's  command. 

This  unfortunate  movement — unfortunate,  inasmuch 
as  the  blow  fell  with  crushing  weight  upon  a  people 
already  subdued,  and  anxious  to  make  peace  on  any 
terms — confirmed  General  Cocke  in  the  opinion  which 
lie  had  previously  formed  and  communicated  to  Gene- 
ral Jackson  on  the  fourteenth  of  November,  that  it  was 
far  better  to  unite  his  forces  with  those  of  the  latter, 
and  act  in  concert  with  him,  than,  by  remaining  sepa- 
rate, to  paralyze  his  efforts,  and  defeat  his  plans. 
Thereafter  he  made  no  attempt  to  operate  indepen- 
dently of  General  Jackson,  and  on  the  twelfth  of 
December  joined  him  at  Fort  Strother,  with  fourteen 
hundred  and  fifty  men.  • 

After  allaying  the  mutiny  in  his  camp  in  November, 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

General  Jackson  visited  Fort  Deposit  and  Ditto's  Land- 
ing, to  make  arrangements  for  supplying  his  army,  pre- 
paratory to  another  forward  movement  which  lie  had  in 
contemplation.  Requisitions  were  issued  for  furnishing 
a  suitable  number  of  rations  at  Fort  Strother,  Talladega, 
and  the  junction  of  the  Coosa  and  Tallapoosa,  together 
with  wagons  and  pack-horses  for  their  transportation. 
He  then  returned  to  Fort  Strother  with  the  first  regi- 
ment of  volunteers.  Shortly  after  his  return  a  new 
cause  of  disturbance  arose.  The  volunteers  had  origi- 
nally engaged  to  serve  for  twelve  months,  and  they 
claimed  that  their  term  of  service  would  expire  on  the 
tenth  of  December.  General  Jackson,  however,  con- 
tended that  the  period  which  elapsed  between  the  time 
of  their  dismissal,  after  their  return  from  Natchez,  and 
that  of  their  subsequent  re-muster,  at  Fayetteville,  must 
be  deducted.  Each  party  insisted  on  its  particular 
view  of  the  case ;  and  in  the  evening  of  the  ninth  of 
December,  General  Jackson  was  informed  by  General 
Hall,  that  his  brigade  were  preparing  to  move  off,  with, 
or  without  permission,  on  the  following  morning. 

General  Jackson  had  become  familiar  with  scenes  of 
this  character,  and  he  immediately  issued  an  order,  stat- 
ing that  an  actual  mutiny  existed  in  the  camp,  and 
commanding  all  officers  and  soldiers  to  unite  in  putting 
it  down.  He  further  directed  the  volunteer  brigade  to 
parade  on  the  west  side  of  the  fort ;  the  company  of 
artillerists  were  ordered  to  take  post,  with  one  piece  in 
front,  and  one  in  rear,  of  their  line ;  and  the  militia,1 


LIFE  OF  ANDREW  JACKSON. 

under  Colonel  Wynne,  were  instructed  to  occupy  the 
eminences  in  advance.  These  dispositions  being  made, 
the  general  rode  in  front  of  the  volunteers,  and 
addressed  each  company  separately,  in  eloquent  and 
animated  terms,  informing  them  that  he  had  submitted 
the  question  in  dispute  to  the  governor,  and  that,  until 
.his  decision  was  known,  or  reinforcements  joined  him, 
he  could  not  dispense  with  their  services.  He  appealed 
to  every  noble  and  worthy  motive  to  induce  them  to 
remain ;  but  declared,  that  he  should  do  his  duty, 
regardless  of  consequences ;  and  that  they  could  not 
leave  him,  without  passing  over  his  dead  body. 
"Now,"  said  he,  in  conclusion,  "argument  is  at  an 
end ;  and  you  must  choose,  and  that  at  once,  whether 
you  will  go  or  stay !" 

Not  a  word  was  uttered  in  reply  by  the  volunteers. 
He  then  demanded  a  prompt  answer.  Still  there  was 
no  response.  He  now  ordered  the  artillerists  to  prepare 
their  matches.  Ere  the  order  was  obeyed,  the  obsti- 
nacy of  the  men  gave  way  before  his  unyielding  firm- 
ness. "Let  us  return,"  was  whispered  from  one  to 
another,  with  trembling  lips ;  and  the  officers  soon  came 
forward,  and  pledged  themselves  and  their  men,  to 
remain  until  the  general  should  hear  from  the  governor, 
or  the  expected  reinforcements  arrive. 

On  the  twelfth  of  December,  General  Cocke  reached 
the  camp  from  Fort  Armstrong,  with  the  East  Tennes- 
seans.  General  Jackson  then  issued  an  address  to  the 
volunteer  brigade,  offering  to  permit  those  who  desired 


LIFE   OF   ANDBEW   JACKSON.  lix 

to  leave  him,  to  return  at  once  to  Nashville,  and  those 
who  chose  to  remain,  to  organize  themselves  into  a  sepa- 
rate corps,  with  officers  of  their  own  selection.  But 
one  man  in  the  whole  brigade,  Captain  Williamson, 
consented  to  stay ;  the  remainder  were  marched  back  to 
Nashville,  by  General  Hall,  and  soon  after  discharged 
from  the  service. 

The  regiment  of  volunteer  cavalry  belonging  to  Gene- 
ral Coffee's  brigade,  claimed  the  same  indulgence  with 
the  volunteer  infantry,  and  the  mounted  rifles  insisted 
that  they  were  only  bound  for  a  three  months'  tour  6f 
duty.  About  one-half  the  brigade  abandoned  the  ser- 
vice, at  Iluntsville,  and  the  other  half  returned  to  Fort 
Deposit,  but  they  also  subsequently  deserted  their  com- 
mander— General  Coffee  exerting  himself,  in  vain,  to 
induce  them  to  remain — and  returned  home.  These 
defections,  and  the  expiration  of  the  terms  of  service  of 
a  portion  of  General  Cocke's  division,  reduced  the  force 
under  General  Jackson,  at  Fort  Strother,  to  six  hundred 
militia,  two  companies  of  spies,  under  Captains  Gordon 
and  Russell,  one  of  artillery,  under  Captain  Deadrick, 
and  a  few  volunteers  from  the  various  corps,  who  had 
been,  "  faithful  among  the  faithless  found."  The  militia 
demanded  their  discharge  at  the  expiration  of  three 
months,  although  it  had  been  supposed  they  were 
enlisted  for  six,  and  it  was  not  thought  advisable  to 
compel  them  to  remain. 

All  these  difficulties  in  keeping  the  troops  in  the  field 
arose  from  the  want  of  sufficient  supplies.  Had  General 


ix  LIFE  OF  ANDREW  JACKSON. 

Jackson  been  properly  supported  in  this  respect,  it  is 
probable  there  would  not  have  been  a  single  case  of 
defection,  and  the  first  of  January,  1814,  would  have 
witnessed  the  complete  subjection  of  the  Creeks.  Still 
he  was  determined  to  prosecute  the  campaign,  as  soon 
as  he  should  be  in  a  condition  to  move  forward.  After 
the  return  of  the  militia,  he  was  left  with  only  about 
one  hundred  men,  and  was,  in  consequence,  obliged  to 
employ  the  friendly  Cherokees  in  garrisoning  Fort  Arm- 
strong, and  protecting  the  stores  at  Camp  Ross.  Gene- 
rals Cocke  and  Roberts,  Colonel  Carroll,  and  Major 
Searcy,  the  aid  of  the  commanding  general,  were  at  this 
time  absent  in  Tennessee,  exerting  themselves  to  raise 
additional  troops. 

On  being  informed  of  the  situation  of  General  Jack- 
son, Governor  Blount  advised  him  to  fall  back  from  his 
advanced  posts,  and  content  himself  with  defending  the 
frontiers  of  the  State,  until  he  was  placed  in  sufficient 
force  to  carry  on  the  war.  On  the  twenty-ninth  of  De- 
cember, 1813,  the  general  unburdened  his  whole  soul 
to  the  governor, 

"  In  thoughts  that  breathe,  and  words  that  burn." 

"What!"  said  he,  in  his  letter,  "retrograde  under 
such  circumstances !  I  will  perish  first.  What !  a 
governor  of  a  patriotic  State,  whose  citizens  pressed  for 
war,  who  bawled  for  permission  to  exterminate  the 
Creeks,  to  pause  or  hesitate  at  such  a  crisis  as  this  ? 
Such  conduct  cannot  be  justified,  cannot  be  excused. 
Hear  the  voice  of  a  friend :  If  you  compel  me  to  retro- 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  Ixi 

grade,  the  awful  responsibility  must  and  will  be  ascribed 
to  you.  *  *  *  I  shall  do  my  duty.  I  will  retain 
the  post,  or  die  in  the  struggle,  unless  ordered  to  retreat 
by  my  commanding  general !"  • 

The  earnest  appeals  of  General  Jackson,  whose  intre- 
pidity of  spirit  and  resoluteness  of  purpose  appeared 
only  the  more  conspicuous,  when  fortune  smiled  the  most 
unkindly  on  him,  were  not  without  effect.  On  the 
thirteenth  of  January,  1814,  he  was  joined  at  Fort 
Strother,  by  two  regiments  of  mounted  men,  eight  hun- 
dred and  fifty  strong,  under  Colonels  Perkins  and  Hig- 
gins,  who  had  volunteered  for  sixty  days.  Previous  to 
this  time,  he  had  ascertained  that  the  hostile  Indians 
from  several  towns  on  the  Tallapoosa,  had  concentrated 
in  a  bend  of  the  river,  thirty-five  miles  south  east  of  Talla- 
dega,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Emuckfaw  Creek,  and  were 
either  preparing  to  attack  Fort  Armstrong,  or  the 
Georgia  troops. 

The  volunteer  cavalry  having  been  enlisted  for  so 
short  a  period,  it  was  necessary  to  act  speedily  if  he  de- 
sired to  avail  himself  of  their  services.  On  the  day  of 
their  arrival  at  Fort  Strother,  he  issued  orders  directing 
them  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  for  the  march,  and, 
on  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  of  January,  crossed  the 
Coosa  with  his  whole  force,  numbering  seven  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  men,  though  the  official  reports,  which 
were  not  corrected  lest  the  army  should  be  intimidated 
by  the  knowledge  of  its  weakness,  showed  a  total  of 
nine  hundred  and  thirty. 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

At  Talladega,  General  Jackson  was  joined  by  two  hun- 
dred friendly  Creeks  and  Cherokees.  The  march  was 
continued  without  intermission,  and  on  the  ni«;ht  of  the 

*  o 

twentieth  instant,  he  encamped  at  Enotochopco,  one  of 
the  Hillabee  villages,  within  twelve  miles  of  Emuck- 
faw.  In  the  morning  of  the  twenty-first,  the  army  pro- 
ceeded direct  towards  the  bend  of  the  river  where  the 
enemy  were  said  to  be  fortified.  About'  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon,  the  spies  discovered  two  Indians,  who 
were  pursued,  but  made  their  escape.  Advancing  a 
short  distance  further,  they  came  upon  the  main  trail 
of  the  savages.  The  general  then  determined  to  encamp 
and  reconnoitre  the  surrounding  country.  A  proper 
position  having  been  selected,  the  army  encamped  in  a 
hollow  square.  Pickets  and  spies  were  thrown  out  on 
every  side  ;  the  sentinels  were  doubled ;  fires  were  built 
in  a  circle  around  the  encampment ;  and  every  precau- 
tion taken  to  guard  against  a  surprise. 

Moments  and  hours  of  the  night  passed  by  in  anxious 
suspense.  From  time  to  time  the  orders  enjoining  strict 
caution  and  vigilance  were  repeated.  The  darkest  hour 
of  the  morning — the  time  usually  selected  by  the  Indians 
for  their  attacks — approached  ;  and  when  everything 
was  the  most  quiet  and  undisturbed,  all  at  once  there 
rose  a  loud  pealing  yell  on  the  left  of  the  encampment, 
and  with  it  came  a  hurtling  volley  of  rifle-balls.  A 
deafening  responsive  shout  went  up,  within  that  fiery 
circle,  like  the  wild  pibroch  of  some  Gaelic  clan,  rous- 
ing the  martial  spirit  of  all  who  heard  it.  The  enemy 


LIFE   OF  ANDREW   JACKSON.  Ixiil 

kept  up  a  rapid  and  unintermitting  tire  ;  but  they  could 
not  approach  near  enough  to  effect  any  execution,  with- 
out entering  the  line  of  light  which  the  timely  precau- 
tion of  Jackson  had  thrown  around  his  men  ;  and  when- 
ever a  single  swart  form,  or  painted  visage,  was  disclosed, 
the  American  bullet  sped  away  on  its  sure  errand  of 
death. 

When  the  alarm  was  first  given,  General  Coffee, 
Colonel  Carroll,  and  Colonel  Sitler,  the  adjutant-gene- 
ral— who,  with  a  number  of  other  officers  previously 
belonging  to  different  detachments,  had  remained  with 
the  commander  to  whom  they  were  devotedly  attached, 
and  formed  themselves  into  a  corps,  without  privates — 
mounted  their  horses  and  rode  to  the  left.  Their  pre- 
sence inspirited  and  encouraged  the  troops,  and  the 
savages  were  held  firmly  at  bay  till  the  dawning  light 
enabled  objects  to  be  distinguished  with  precision.  A 
company  of  infantry  were  then  ordered  to  that  flank, 
and  thus  strengthened,  General  Coffee,  supported  by 
Colonels  Higgins  and  Carroll,  led  the  whole  line  to  the 
charge.  The  red  warriors  were  driven  from  their  coverts 
at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  pursued  for  more  than 
two  miles;  the  friendly  Indians  joining  in  the  chase, 
and  marking  their  pathway  with  the  blood  of  the  slain. 

Victorious  as  he  was,  General  Jackson  was  still  in  a 
precarious  position.  His  men  had  few  rations  left,  and 
the  horses  had  not  had  corn  or  cane,  for  two  days.  The 
main  object  of  the  expedition — a  diversion  in  favor  of 
Mie  Georgia  troops — had  been  accomplished,  yet  his 


1XIV  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

small  force  was  seriously  crippled,  and  it  was  to  be 
feared,  if  he  remained  at  Emuckfaw,  that  the  Red  Sticks 
would  rally  in  greater  numbers,  and  attack  him  once 
more,  under  all  his  disadvantages.  He  therefore  decid- 
ed to  fall  back  to  Fort  Strother  as  soon  as  practicable. 
The  remainder  of  the  day  was  spent  in  burying  the 
dead,  in  taking  care  of  the  wounded  and  preparing  lit- 
ters for  their  transportation,  and  in  fortifying  the  camp. 
The  militia  sentinels  were  repeatedly  alarmed  during 
the  night,  probably  by  their  own  fancies,  as  no  enemy 
was  discovered;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-third, 
without  having  been  again  molested,  the  army  com- 
menced the  return  march. 

Not  a  solitary  Indian  was  seen  through  the  day,  ex- 
cept those  attached  to  the  command.  They  defiled, 
without  interruption,  through  a  hurricane,  covered  with 
the  huge  bolls  of  prostrate  oaks,  and  pines,  with  strag- 
gling branches  of  trees  flung  in  every  direction,  and 
closely-matted  weeds  and  brambles,  in  which  there  were 
numerous  hiding-places  that  might  have  afforded  shel- 
ter to  an  enemy ;  and  just  before  sunset,  they  arrived 
at  Enotochopco,  where  they  halted  for  the  night,  select- 
ing a  strong  position,  which  they  fortified,  within  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  creek. 

In  the  evening,  small  parties  of  the  hostile  savages 
were  seen  prowling  about  the  encampment,  although 
no  attack  was  made.  This  circumstance,  in  connection 
with  the  fact  that  he  had  not  been  molested  during  tho 
day,  convinced  General  Jackson  that  the  enemy  had  got 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  xV 

in  the  advance,  and  were  lying  in  wait  for  him  at  a  dan- 
gerous defile  where  he  had  forded  the  creek  on  his  out- 
ward march.  He  therefore  sent  out  his  pioneers,  who 
discovered  another  crossing,  about  six  hundred  yards 
lower  down,  which  was  approached  through  open  wood- 
lands; and,  unlike  the  other,  its  banks  sloped  gently 
down,  and  were  tolerably  free  from  reeds  and  under- 
brush. The  lower  ford  was,  of  course  selected,  in  pre- 
ference to  the  one  above. 

Presuming  that  the  Indians  would  rush  upon  his 
men,  when  they  were  engaged  in  passing  the  stream, 
the  general  made  his  preparations  with  great  care,  and 
issued  his  orders  with  unusual  precision.  Colonel  Car- 
roll was  ordered  to  take  command  of  the  centre  of  the 
rear-guard ;  Colonel  Perkins  of  the  right  column  ;  and 
Colonel  Stump  of  the  left.  Captain  Russell  was  directed 
to  bring  up  the  rear  with  his  company  of  spies.  If 
attacked,  Colonel  Carroll  was  instructed  to  face  about, 
display,  and  maintain  his  ground ;  while  the  right  and 
left  columns  were  to  face  outward,  wheel  back  on  theii 
pivots,  and  then  attack  the  Indians  on  both  flanks. 

In  this  order  the  crossing  proceeded  on  the  morning 
of  the  twenty-fourth.  The  front-guard,  the  wounded, 
and  a  part  of  the  flank  cohimns,  had  passed  over ;  and 
the  artillery  were  in  the  act  of  entering  the  creek- 
General  Jackson  being  on  the  bank  superintending  the 
movement — when  an  alarm  gun  was  fired  in  the  rear. 
The  instant  after,  the  whole  troop  of  Indians,  who  had 
discovered  the  effort  to  turn  their  position,  came  plung- 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

ing  down  upon  the  rear-guard.  Captain  Russell  received 
them  gallantly,  and  fell  back  in  good  order.  Colonel 
Carroll  had  scarcely  given  the  order  to  halt  and  form, 
when  the  right  and  left  columns,  headed  by  their  offi- 
cers, broke  and  fled  down  the  bank.  Colonel  Stump 
was  among  the  foremost,  and  as  he  approached  General 
Jackson's  position,  the  latter  attempted  to  cut  him  down 
with  his  sword. 

All  was  now  confusion  and  disorder.  The  panic  was 
communicated  to  the  rear-guard,  most  of  whom  followed 
the  example  of  their  companions.  Colonel  Carroll  and 
Captain  Quarles  were  left  with  only  twenty-five  men, 
yet  they  sustained  the  unequal  contest  with  unflinching 
bravery.  The  savages  were  checked  in  their  advance, 
but  the  men  were  rapidly  falling,  and  the  iron  hail 
came  thicker  and  faster.  General  Jackson  fairly  boiled 
over  with  rage  and  indignation;  yet,  smothering  his 
passion,  he  gave  his  orders  coolly  and  calmly,  but  in  a 
tone  that  rang  like  the  blast  of  a  trumpet.  Words  of 
encouragement  were  not  wanting ;  and  when  the  fear- 
less and  intrepid  Coffee  sprang  from  his  litter  into  the 
saddle,  he  cried,  "We  shall  whip  them  yet,  my  men  ! — 
the  dead  have  risen  and  come  to  aid  us  I" 

The  company  of  artillery,  who  were  armed  with  mus- 
kets, now  rushed  up  the  acclivity,  and  ranged  them- 
selves by  the  side  of  Colonel  Carroll  and  his  little  band, 
while  their  commander,  Lieutenant  Armstrong — Cap 
tain  Deadrick  being  absent — -and  a  few  of  his  men, 
dragged  up  their  six-pounder.  The  gun  had  been  un- 


LIFE   OF    ANDREW   JACKSON. 

limbered  at  the  foot  of  the  height,  and  when  they  pre- 
pared to  load  it,  the  rammer  and  picker  were  missing. 
No  time  was  to  be  lost,  as  the  savages  were  fast  closing 
upon  them.  One  of  the  men  instantly  wrested  off  his 
bayonet,  and  rammed  the  cartridge  home  with  his 
musket;  another  used  his  ramrod  as  a  picker,  and 
primed  with  a  musket  cartridge.  Twice  was  the  gun 
loaded  and  fired  with  grapeshot.  At  the  second  dis- 
charge, the  enemy  were  thrown  into  confusion,  when 
Colonel  Carroll  pressed  upon  them  with  the  bayonet, 
and  forced  them  to  retire  a  short  distance,  though  they 
still  persisted  in  the  attack. 

Meanwhile,  Captain  Gordon,  whose  company  had 
been  in  the  advance,  had  moved  round  and  thrown  him- 
self upon  the  left  flank  of  the  Indians  ;  and  a  few  mo- 
ments later,  General  Jackson  brought  up  a  considerable 
number  of  the  rear-guard  and  flankers,  whom  he  had 
rallied  and  reformed,  with  the  assistance  of  General 
Coffee,  Colonel  Higgins,  and  other  officers.  Finding 
themselves  baffled  at  every  point,  the  enemy  gave  up 
the  contest  and  made  a  hasty  retreat,  throwing  away 
their  packs  as  they  fled,  and  leaving  twenty-six  of  their 
warriors  dead  on  the  field. 

In  this  series  of  engagements,  at  Emuckfaw  and 
Enotochopco,  General  Jackson  lost  twenty  men  killed, 
and  seventy-five  wounded,  four  of  them  mortally.  One 
hundred  and  eighty-nine  dead  bodies  of  the  enemy  were 
counted ;  but  they  removed  all  their  wounded,  and,  pro 
bably,  many  who  were  killed  outright. 


Ixviii  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

The  brilliant  successes  of  General  Jackson  in  the 
Creek  country  now  began  to  attract  unusual  attention. 
The  commander  of  the  military  district,  General  Pinck- 
ney,  referred  to  his  conduct  in  terms  of  strong  approba- 
tion, and  suggested  his  name  to  the  Secretary  of  War, 
for  an  appointment  in  the  regular  army.  He  had  fought 
himself  into  the  confidence  and  affections  of  the  public, 
and  he  had  no  further  need  to  depend  on  the  reluctant 
services  of  a  disorderly  and  half-mutinous  soldiery. 

So  far  from  being  offended  at  the  tone  and  language 
of  General  Jackson's  letter,  Governor  Blount  properly 
appreciated  the  feelings  of  the  writer,  and  made  every 
possible  exertion  to  send  him  both  troops  and  supplies. 
Men  were  not  wanting  to  enroll  their  names ;  for  there 
were  hundreds  and  thousands  who  longed  to  fight  be- 
neath the  standard,  and  under  the  eye,  of  Andrew 
Jackson.  On  the  third  of  February,  General  Doherty 
arrived  at  Camp  Ross  with  two  thousand  men  from 
East  Tennessee ;  and,  shortly  after,  General  Johnston 
reported  himself  at  Huntsville,  with  over  seventeen 
hundred  men,  from  West  Tennessee.  Two  regiments 
of  cavalry,  one  from  each  section  of  the  state,  under 
Colonels  Dyer  and  Brown,  also  appeared,  and  were 
organized  into  a  brigade,  under  General  Coffee.  On 
the  sixth  of  February,  the  39th  infantry,  under  Colonel 
Williams,  about  six  hundred  strong,  joined  General 
Jackson  at  Fort  Strother,  and  about  the  same  time,  the 
Choctaws  took  up  the.  hatchet  against  the  Red  Sticks, 
and  offered  him  their  services. 


LIFE. OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

While  the  general  was  making  his  preparations  at 
Fort  Strother,  most  of  the  detachments  composing  the 
force  under  his  command  remained  in  the  rear,  that  the 
supplies  thrown  forward  to  that  post  might  not  be  too 
quickly  consumed.  During  this  period  of  inaction,  the 
spirit  of  mutiny  again  made  its  appearance  among  the 
West  Tennessee  troops.  He  felt  that  he  had  so  far 
dealt  too  leniently  with  this  offence,  and  determined  to 
visit  it  with  summary  punishment.  A  private  belong- 
ing to  General  Johnston's  command  was  convicted  of 
open  mutiny,  and  sentenced  to  death.  This  was  his 
second  offence,  and  the  general  firmly  refused  to  pardon 
him.  The  sentence  was  carried  into  effect,  and  the 
example  thus  presented  exerted  a  most  salutary  influ- 
ence on  the  whole  army. 

Early  in  March,  General  Jackson  had  finally  com- 
pleted his  arrangements.  Colonel  Dyer  was  ordered  to 
scour  the  country  between  the  Coosa,  Blackwarrior, 
and  Cahawba,  as  low  down  as  the  old  Coosa  towns; 
the  Choctaws  and  Chickasaws  were  directed  to  watch 
the  country  west  of  the  Tombigbee,  and  prevent  the 
escape  of  any  of  the  Red  Sticks  beyond  the  Mississippi ; 
and  the  Cherokees  received  instructions  to  range  about 
the  headwaters  of  the  Tallapoosa.  At  the  same  time, 
there  was  a  large  force  of  North  Carolina  and  South 
Carolina  militia,  under  Colonel  Pearson,  who  had 
relieved  the  Georgia  troops  under  General  Floyd,  on 
the  eastern  borders  of  the  Creek  country,  in  readiness 


1XX  LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

to  cooperate  in  any  simultaneous  movement  upon  the 
fastnesses  of  the  hostile  Indians. 

Leaving  a  garrison  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  men  at 
Fort  Strother,  under  Colonel  Steel,  General  Jackson 
commenced  descending  the  Coosa,  having  embarked  his 
stores  in  boats,  with  the  remainder  of  his  force,  on  the 
sixteenth  day  of  March.  Arrived  at  the  mouth  of 
Cedar  Creek,  he  established  a  d£pot  at  this  point,  and 
commenced  the  construction  of  a  fort,  which  he  named 
Fort  Williams.  The  work  on  the  fort  being  in  a  suffi- 
cient state  of  forwardness,  he  took  up  the  line  of  march 
across  the  country  to  Emuckfaw,  on  the  morning  of  the 
twenty-fourth  instant,  with  about  two  thousand  men, 
A  strong  detachment  was  left  at  Fort  Williams,  to  pro- 
tect the  supplies,  and  continue  the  labor  on  the  fortifica- 
tions. 

Not  far  from  five  miles  below  the  battle-ground  of 
the  twenty-second  of  January,  at  Emuckfaw,  is  the 
great  bend  of  the  Tallapoosa,  called  by  the  Indians 
Tohopeca,  or  Horse  Shoe.  At  this  place,  the  warriors 
from  the  hostile  towns  of  Oakfuskie,  Oakchoya,  Eufau- 
lee,  New  Youca,  the  Hillabees  and  Fish  Ponds,  had 
concentrated  their  forces,  near  one  thousand  strong,  for 
a  last  desperate  struggle.  Across  the  narrow  neck  of 
land,  or  isthmus,  by  which  the  peninsula  formed  by  the 
crooked  river  was  entered,  they  had  erected  a  breast- 
work of  logs,  from  five  to  eight  feet  high,  with  double 
portholes,  arranged  with  no  little  skill  and  ingenuity. 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

Within  the  inclosure,  there  were  about  one  hundred 
acres  of  land;  the  centre  was  high  ground,  covered 
with  brush  and  fallen  timber ;  and  on  the  river  bottom, 
at  the  lower  extremity  of  the  peninsula,  was  the  Indian 
village. 

On  the  night  of  the  twenty-sixth  of  March,  General 
Jackson  encamped  within  six  miles  of  the  Horse  Shoe, 
and  early  on  the  following  morning.  General  Coffee 
was  detached,  with  the  mounted  men  and  most  of  the 
friendly  Indians,  under  instructions  to  cross  the  river 
at  a  ford  two  miles  below  Tohopeca,  and  take  posses- 
sion of  the  high  grounds  on  the  opposite  bank,  so  as  to 
cut  off  all  chance  of  escape  in  that  quarter.  General 
Jackson  then  marched  the  remainder  of  his  force  to  a 
position  in  front  of  the  enemy's  breastworks,  where  he 
halted  his  men,  until  the  pre-arranged  signal  announced 
that  General  Coffee  had  drawn  a  cordon  of  soldiers 
around  the  elevated  ground  overlooking  the  river  and 
the  hostile  town  and  fortification.  The  main  column 
immediately  moved  forward ;  the  two  pieces  of  artil- 
lery, a  six  and  a  three  ponnder,  were  planted  on  a  hill 
eighty  yards  distant  from  the  left  of  the  enemy's  line ; 
and  at  half  past  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  the  action 
was  opened  by  a  brisk  fire,  which  was  warmly  returned 
by  the  Ked  Sticks. 

The  firing  on  the  American  side  was  mainly  confined 
to  the  artillery,  though  a  rifle  or  musket  was  occasion- 
ally discharged,  whenever  the  dark  warriors  incauti 
ously  exposed  their  persons.     For  nearly  two  hours,  the 


Ixxii  LIFE  OF  ANDREW  JACKSON. 

cannonade  was  kept  up,  with  spirit  and  activity,  though 
without  producing  any  sensible  impression.  Meantime, 
the  friendly  Indians  had  advanced  to  the  left  bank  of 
the  river,  while  General  Coffee  remained  on  the  high 
ground  with  the  rest  of  his  troops.  Some  of  the  Chero- 
kees  now  discovered  that  the  enemy's  canoes,  which 
were  drawn  up  on  the  shore,  near  their  village,  had  been 
left  unguarded.  They  instantly  plunged  into  the  stream, 
swam  across,  and,  in  a  few  moments,  returned  with  a 
number  of  the  canoes.  Means  being  thus  provided  for 
passing  over,  the  Cherokees,  headed  by  their  chief, 
Richard  Brown,  and  Colonel  Morgan,  and  Captain  Rus- 
sell's company  of  spies,  crossed  to  the  village,  set  it  on 
fire,  and  attacked  the  enemy  in  the  rear. 

Surrounded  though  they  were,  the  hostile  Indians 
fought  with  the  utmost  bravery  and  desperation.  Every 
avenue  by  which  they  might  have  fled  was  occupied  by 
the  American  troops,  and  their  habitations  were  in 
flames ;  still  they  refused  to  surrender,  and  successfully 
resisted  every  attempt  of  the  spies  and  Cherokees  to 
dislodge  them.  The  soldiers  with  General  Jackson 
clamored  loudly  to  be  led  to  the  assault,  but  he  hesitated 
to  give  the  order,  till  he  became  convinced  that  the 
party  in  the  rear  were  not  strong  enough  to  overcome 
the  opposition  they  encountered.  The  command  to 
storm  the  works  was  then  received  with  shouts  and 
acclamations.  General  Doherty's  brigade,  and  the  39th 
infantry,  under  Colonel  "Williams,  promptly  advanced 
to  the  attack.  The  result  of  the  contest  did  not  long  re- 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

main  in  doubt.  A  fierce  struggle  was  maintained  for  a 
short  time,  through  the  portholes,  muzzle  to  muzzle ;  the 
action  being  so  close,  as  remarked  in  the  dispatch  of  the 
commanding  general,  "  that  many  of  the  enemy's  balls 
were  welded  to  the  American  bayonets."  Major  Mont- 
gomery, of  the  39th  infantry,  was  the  first  to  spring 
upon  the  breastwork,  but  was  shot  dead  among  his  com- 
rades, who  were  rushing  forward  to  sustain  him.  A 
smothered  cry  for  vengeance  rolled  along  the  line — and 
the  whole  column  dashed  over  the  feeble  Carrier,  like 
the  avalanche,  crushing  and  bearing  down  everything 
before  it. 

The  Indians,  fighting  with  the  fury  of  despair,  met  the 
shock  with  clubbed  muskets  and  rifles,  with  the  gleam- 
ing knife  and  tomahawk.  Some  few  attempted  to 
escape  by  swimming  the  river,  but  were  shot  down  in 
their  flight,  by  the  spies  and  mounted  men  under  Gene- 
ral Coffee.  Most  of  them,  however,  fought  and  died, 
where  they  stood — behind  the  ramparts  which  they 
were  unable  to  defend.  The  conflict — nay,  we  may  call 
it  without  reproach  to  the  victors,  the  butchery — was 
continued  for  hours.  None  asked  for  quarter.  The 
Tallapoosa  ran  red  with  the  blood  of  the  savages, 
and  the  dead  were  piled  in  mangled  heaps  upon  its 
banks. 

Driven  from  the  breastwork,  a  considerable  number 
of  the  enemy  took  refuge  among  the  brush  and  fallen 
timber  on  the  high  ground  in  the  centre  of  the  penin- 
sula. General  Jackson  sent  them  an  interpreter,  to  offer 


LIFE   OF   ANDKEW   JACKSON. 

terms  of  capitulation,  but  they  fired  on  and  wounded 
him.  The  cannon  were  brought  to  bear  on  their  posi- 
tion, and  a  partially  successful  charge  was  made,  yet 
they  were  not  dislodged.  Finally,  the  brush  was  set  on 
fire.  The  flames  spread  with  rapidity,  snapping  and 
crackling  as  they  caught  the  dry  bark  and  leaves,  and 
licking  up  everything  in  their  way,  like  some  huge, 
greedy  monster.  The  Indians  were  now  forced  from 
their  concealment ;  and  all  who  attempted  to  fly,  or 
offered  resistance,  were  shot  down.  Night  at  length  put 
an  end  to  the  carnage,  and,  under  cover  of  the  darkness, 
a  few  of  the  survivors  of  that  fatal  field  escaped  into  the 
adjoining  forests. 

Five  hundred  and  fifty-seven  dead  bodies  of  the 
enemy  were  found  within  the  peninsula ;  and  there  were 
over  three  hundred  taken  prisoners,  nearly  all  women 
and  children.  The  total  loss  of  the  lied  Sticks,  in  killed 
alone,  must  have  been  near  eight  hundred ;  as  a  num- 
ber of  the  dead  were  thrown  into  the  river  previous  to 
the  final  rout,  .by  their  surviving  friends,  or  shot  by 
General  Coffee's  men  while  attempting  to  make  their 
escape.  Among  the  slain  were  three  prophets,  one  of 
whom,  by  the  name  of  Monohoe,  was  struck  by  a  grape- 
shot  in  his  mouth,  out  of  which  had  issued  the  lies 
which  had  lured  his  nation  to  their  ruin. 

General  Jackson  lost  fifty-five  men  killed,  and  one 
hundred  and  forty-six  wounded.  Twenty-three  of  the 
killed,  and  forty-seven  of  the  wounded,  were  friendly 
Creeks  and  Cherokees. 


LIFE    OF   ANDREW   JACKSON.  IxXV 

The  campaign  was  now  drawing  to  a  close,  but  its 
hardships  were  not  quite  ended.  The  roads  were  flood- 
ed by  the  heavy  rains,  and  the  streams  scarcely  fordable ; 
and,  consequently,  the  march  was  tedious  and  difficult. 
General  Jackson  was  much  worn  by  the  fatigues  and 
privations  which  he  had  encountered,  but  his  capability 
of  endurance  was  not  yet  exhausted ;  and  the  strength 
of  constitution  he  manifested,  though  belied  by  the  ap- 
parent weakness  of  his  frame,  gave  rise  to  the  sobriquet 
of  "  Old  Hickory,"  which  was  applied  to  him  by  his 
soldiers,  and  adhered  to  him  through  life. 

The  terrible  vengeance  taken  at  Tohopeka,  for  the 
massacre  at  Fort  Mi  ins,  and  the  other  monstrous  cruel- 
ties perpetrated  by  the  Red  Sticks,  put  an  end  to  the 
war.  The  great  body  of  the  hostile  savages  fled  in 
dismay  before  the  advancing  columns  of  General  Jack- 
son. Many  of  the  fugitives  were  killed  by  a  detach 
ment  of  the  3rd  infantry,  under  Colonel  Russell,  but 
numbers  effected  their  escape  into  Florida,  on  account 
of  the  remissness  of  Colonel  Milton,  the  officer  in  com- 
mand of  the  South  Carolinians,  who  were  then  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Tallapoosa,  not  far  above  its  junction 
with  the  Coosa.  McQueen,  one"  of  the  most  prominent 
chiefs  among  the  Red  Sticks,  was  captured,  but  after- 
wards escaped  to  the  Escambia  river,  with  five  hundred 
adherents. 

Arrived  at  Hoithlewalee,  General  Jackson  found  the 
toWn"  abandoned.  On  the  faurteenth  of  April  it  was 
destroyed,  with  several  other  villages  in  the  vicinity. 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

The  general  then  divided  his  command  into  two  col- 
umns ;  one  scouring  the  country  on  the  left  bank,  arid 
the  other,  with  which  he  remained  in  person,  advancing 
down  the  right  bank  of  the  Tallapoosa,  to  the  conflu- 
ence, where  a  fort  was  constructed,  called  by  General 
Piuckney,  in  honor  of  the  gallant  Tennessee  comman- 
der, Fort  Jackson.  At  this  point  most  of  the  Hickory 
Ground  chiefs  came  in  and  submitted  to  the  conqueror. 
Weatherford  also  voluntarily  surrendered,  and  the  great 
prophet  of  the  Creeks,  Hillinghagee,  was  taken  pri- 
soner. The  only  terms  prescribed  by  the  victorious 
general  were,  that  all  who  surrendered  themselves 
should  retire  to  the  country  north  of  Fort  Williams, 
where,  if  their  conduct  was  good,  they  would  be  per- 
mitted to  remain  unmolested.  In  a  few  days  after  his 
humane  and  generous  proposition  was  made  known, 
numbers  of  the  fugitives  were  on  their  way  to  the  neu- 
tral territory. 

On  the  twentieth  of  April,  General  Pinckney  arrived 
at  Fort  Jackson,  and  on  the  following  day  assumed  the 
command.  General  Jackson  shortly  after  repaired  to 
his  home  in  Tennessee,  to  recruit  his  health  and  strength, 
which  had  suffered  materially  during  his  long  and  ar- 
duous campaign.  The  thanks  of  the  government  and 
the  applause  of  the  nation  followed  him  in  his  retire- 
ment. An  opportunity  was  soon  afforded  for  rewarding 
his  services  by  an  appointment  in  the  regular  army. 
On  the  resignation  of  General  Harrison,  President  Mad- 
ison nominated  him  as  a  brigadier  general,  and  major 


LIFE    OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

general  by  brevet ;  and,  a  short  time  afterwards,  he 
was  appointed  a  full  major  general,  to  fill  the  vacancy 
occasioned  by  the  retirement  of  General  Hampton. 
Both  commissions  were  received  at  the  same  time,  and 
the  latter  was  accepted. 

In  the  summer  of  1814,  General  Jackson  was  ordered 
to  take  command  of  the  seventh  military  district,  and 
established  his  headquarters  at  Mobile.  Associated  with 
Colonel  Hawkins,  he  concluded  a  favorable  treaty  with 
the  Creek  nation,  by  which,  with  the  exception  of  a 
small  portion  of  the  tribe  who  chose  to  remain  in  Flo- 
rida, they  were  prevented  from  again  taking  up  arms 
during  the  continuance  of  the  war  with  England. 

In  the  month  of  August,  Captain  Gordon,  of  the 
spies,  visited  Pensacola,  and  ascertained  that  a  large 
body  of  savages  had  been  organized  there  by  Colonel 
Nicholls,  of  the  British  •army,  and  were  then  being 
instructed  and  drilled  by  British  officers,  in  the  pre- 
sence, and  with  the  knowledge,  of  the  Spanish  governor ; 
that  Fort  Barrancas  was  occupied  by  between  two  and 
three  hundred  British  troops ;  and  that  there  were  three 
armed  vessels  belonging  to  the  same  nation,  in  the  bay, 
from  which  a  considerable  quantity  of  arms  and  provi- 
sions had  been  disembarked.  Another  reconnoissance 
was  subsequently  made  by  Lieutenant  Murray,  of  the 
Mississippi  militia,  which  fully  confirmed  the  report 
made  by  Captain  Gordon.  On  the  twenty-ninth  of 
August,  also,  Colonel  Nicholls  issued  a  proclamation, 
dated  at  his  "headquarters,  Pensacola,"  addressed  to 


LIFE   OF   ANDREW   JACKSON. 

the  inhabitants  of  the  southern  and  southwestern  states, 
and  inviting  them  to  join  his  standard,  in  which  he 
informed  them  that  he  was  "  at  the  head  of  a  large 
body  of  Indians,  well  armed,  disciplined,  and  com- 
manded by  British  officers ;  a  good  train  of  artillery, 
with  every  requisite ;  seconded  by  the  powerful  aid  of 
a  numerous  British  and  Spanish  squadron  of  ships  and 
vessels  of  war." 

General  Jackson  was  not  disposed  to  stand  idly  by, 
and  see  the  rights  of  his  country  violated,  and  her  in- 
terests jeoparded.  He  forthwith  dispatched  an  express 
to  the  governor  of  Tennessee,  requesting  the  whole  quota 
of  the  militia  of  that  State  to  be  brought  into  the  field 
without  delay,  and  commenced  his  preparations  for  a 
march  on  Pensacola.  On  the  fifteenth  of  September,  Colo- 
nel Nicholls  appeared  before  Fort  Bowyer,  thirty  miles 
below  Mobile,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Bay,  with  four  ves- 
sels containing  a  number  of  siege  pieces,  and  several  hun- 
dred sailors,  marines,  and  savages.  The  heavy  guns 
were  landed,  the  fort  invested,  and  a  lively  cannonade 
opened  upon  it.  Major  Lawrence,  of  the  2nd  infantry, 
the  commander  of  the  post,  with  its  garrison  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  men,  made  a  brave  defence,  and 
finally  forced  the  enemy  to  retire,  with  the  loss  of 
one  of  their  ships,  and  over  two  hundred  killed  and 
wounded. 

Having  been  joined  by  about  two  thousand  men  from 
Tennessee,  General  Jackson  took  up  the  line  of  march 
for  Pensacola,  with  all  his  disposable  troops.  His  whole 


LIFE   OF   ANDBEW   JACKSON. 

force  consisted  of  upwards  of  three  thousand  men,  but  a 
small  part  being  regulars,  and  the  remainder  militia 
from  Mississippi  and  Tennessee,  with  a  few  Choctow 
warriors.  On  the  sixth  of  November,  he  arrived  near 
Pensacola,  and  sent  a  flag  to  the  Spanish  governor,  to 
communicate  the  purpose  of  his  visit.  The  bearer  of 
the  flag  was  fired  on  from  the  batteries  in  the  town,  and 
forced  to  return.  Dispositions  were  then  made  for  car- 
rying the  fort  by  assault,  which  was  discovered  to  be 
defended  by  both  British  and  Spanish  troops,'  on  the  fol- 
lowing day.  On  the  morning  of  the  seventh,  the  gene- 
ral entered  the  town  with  his  troops,  under  a  heavy 
fire  from  the  fort,  and  the  British  flotilla  in  the  harbor, 
and  carried  one  of  the  advanced  batteries  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet.  The  governor  now  supplicated  for 
mercy,  and  surrendered  the  town  and  fort  uncondition- 
ally ;  the  British  troops  retiring  to  Fort  Barrancas,  and 
their  savage  allies  seeking  shelter  in  the  everglades  of 
Florida,  whither  they  were  driven  by  a  detachment 
from  the  American  army  under  Major  Blue. 


JACKSON  S   FIRST  ENTBY   INTO   NEW   ORLEANS. 

IN  the  rear  of  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  and  about  a 
mile  from  its  centre,  there  is  a  small,  narrow,  winding, 
and  still  stream,  called,  in  the  South,  a  Bayou,  which 
communicates  with  Lake  Pontchartrain.  This  bayou, 
no  doubt,  once  flowed  from  the  Mississippi,  but  in  the 
progress  of  time  and  in  the  process  of  accretion,  its 
source  has  been  thrown  some  distance  from  the  river, 
and  now  starting  in  the  swamp  above  the  city,  it  steals 
through  an  indentation  of  the  delta,  winds  along  the 
base  of  the  Metairie  Ridge  (a  curious  protrusion  from 
the  level  plain  in  which  New  Orleans  is  built),  and, 
approaching  the  suburbs  of  the  city,  turns  abruptly  to 
the  east,  and  then,  with  sluggish  current,  meanders 
towards  the  lake.  A  canal,  commenced  by  that  great 
benefactor  of  New  Orleans,  Baron  Carondelet,  the 
labor  of  which  was  performed  by  slaves  belonging  to 
the  citizens,  who  were  levied  upon  for  that  purpose, 
which  was  completed  in  1796,  connects  the  bayou  with . 

1* 


10  JACKSON  AND  NEW  OKLEANS. 

the  city,  and  thus  supplies  the  latter  with  an  excellent 
water  communication  with  the  lake,  through  which,  in 
the  early  days  of  its  history,  much  of  the  commerce  of 
New  Orleans  was  conducted.  Biloxi,  the  Bay  of  Saint 
Louis  and  Pass  Christian  were  then  flourishing  settle- 
ments, where  the  French  established  their  first  colonies, 
before  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  had  been  dis- 
covered, and  where  most  of  the  shipping  engaged  in  the 
foreign  and  coastwise  trade  came  to  anchor,  and  trans- 
shipping their  cargoes  into  smaller  crafts,  sent  them  to 
New  Orleans  through  the  Bayou  Saint  John  (the  name 
of  the  stream  we  have  described),  and  the  canal 
Carondelet.  There,  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the 
bayou,  and  about  half  a  mile  from  the  mouth  of  the 
canal,  is  the  old  settlement  of  Saint  John,  which  existed 
when  the  present  site  of  New  Orleans  was  an  unbroken 
swamp,  the  favorite  retreat  of  alligators  and  other  rep- 
tiles. But  time  has  wrought  a  striking  change  in  the 
character  and  aspect  of  these  localities.  The  seashore 
settlements  no  longer  resorted  to  for  purposes  of  trade, 
are  now  only  known  as  places  of  summer  sojourn  and 
recreation.  Thither  flock  the  jaded  denizens  of  the  city, 
to  refresh  their  wearied  frames,  to  invigorate  broken 
constitutions,  to  relieve  their  minds  of  the  oppression 
of  all  business  cares,  and  to  inhale  an  atmosphere  of 
luxurious  and  exhilarating  salubrity. 

Alas  !  this  ancient  canal  and  bayou  followed  the  for- 
tunes of  the  ancient  population  of  New  Orleans,  and, 
in  the  march  of  Anglo-American  enterprise,  lost  its 
value  and  importance  as  a  vehicle  of  commerce,  when  a 
new  canal  of  larger  dimensions  was  constructed  in 
another  part  of  the  city,  where  the  all-conquering  invad- 
ers from  Northern  climes  had  "pitched  their  tents." 


JACKSON'S  FIRST  ENTRY   INTO  NEW  ORLEANS.      11 

Che  fame  and  history  of  this  old  bayou  and  canal  had 
become  classical,  as  relics  of  a  past  age  and  generation. 
They  were  intimately  associated  with  the  early  glories 
of  New  Orleans,  and  were,  therefore,  held  in  warm  vene- 
ration by  the  old  inhabitants.  Several  attempts  have 
been  made  to  restore  the  fortunes  of  the  old  bayou,  and 
render  it  what  it  appears  to  be  so  admirably  designed 
for,  an  additional  means  of  transit  for  the  great  and 
rapidly  increasing  commerce  between  New  Orleans  and 
the  growing  towns  and  settlements  on  the  Lake  .and 
Gulf  shore;  but  thus  far  they  have  not  proved  suc- 
cessful. 

The  Bayou  St.  John  empties  into  Lake  Pontchartrain 
at  a  distance  of  seven  miles  from  the  city.  Here,  at 
its  mouth,  may  be  seen  the  remains,  in  an  excellent 
state  of  preservation,  of  an  old  Spanish  fort,  which  was 
built  many  years  ago  by  one  of  the  Spanish  Governors, 
as  a  protection  of  this  important  point ;  for,  by  glancing 
at  the  map  of  New  Orleans  and  its  vicinity,  it  will  be 
seen  that  a  maritime  power  could  find  no  easier  approach 
to  the  city  than  through  the  Bayou  St.  John.  This  fort 
was  built,  as  the  Spaniards  built  all  their  fortifications 
in  this  State,  where  stone  could  not  be  procured,  of  small 
brick,  imported  from  Europe,  cemented  with  a  much 
more  adhesive  and  permanent  material  than  is  now  used 
for  building,  and  with  walls  of  great  thickness  and 
solidity.  The  foundation  and  walls  of  the  fort  still  re- 
main, interesting  vestiges  of  the  old  Spanish  dominion. 
On  the  mound  and  within  the  walls,  stands  a  comfort- 
able hotel,  where,  in  the  summer  season,  may  be  ob- 
tained healthful  cheer,  generous  liquors,  and  a  pleasant 
view  of  the  placid  and  beautiful  lake,  over  whose  gen  tie 
bosom  the  sweet  south  wind  conies  with  just  power 


12  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

enough  to  raise  a  gentle  ripple  on  its  mirror-like  surface, 
bringing  joy  and  relief  to  the  wearied  townsman,  and 
debilitated  invalid.  What  a  different  scene  did  this  fort 
present  forty  years  ago !  Then  there  were  large  cannon 
looking  frowningly  through  those  embrasures,  whicli  are 
now  filled  up  with  dirt  and  rubbish,  and  around  them 
clustered  glittering  bayonets  and  fierce-looking  men,  full 
of  military  ardor  and  determination.  There,  too,  was 
much  of  the  reality,  if  not  of  "  the  pomp  and  circum- 
stance "  of  war.  High  above  the  fort,  from  the  summit 
of  a  lofty  staff,  floated  not  the  showy  banner  of  Old 
Spain,  with  its  glittering  and  mysterious  emblazonry, 
but  that  simplest  and  most  beautiful  of  all  national 
standards,  the  Stars  and  Stripes  of  the  Republic  of  the 
United  States. 

From  the  Fort  St.  John  to  the  city,  the  distance  is 
six  or  seven  miles.  Along  the  bayou,  which  twists  its 
sinuous  course  like  a  huge  dark  green  serpent,  through 
the  swamp,  lies  a  good  road,  hardened  by  a  pavement 
of  shells,  taken  from  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  Hereon, 
city  Jehus  now  exercise  their  fast  nags,  and  lovely 
ladies  take  their  evening  airings.  But  at  the  time  our 
narrative  commences,  it  was  a  very  bad  road,  being 
low,  muddy,  and  broken.  The  ride,  which  now  occu- 
pies some  twenty  minutes  very  delightfully,  was  then  a 
wearisome  two  hours'  journey. 

It  was  along  this  road,  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
2d  December,  1814,  that  a  party  of  gentlemen  rode  at 
a  brisk  trot,  from  the  lake  towards  the  city.  The  mist, 
which  during  the  night  broods  over  the  swamp,  had  not 
cleared  off.  The  air  was  chilly,  damp  and  uncomfor- 
table. The  travellers,  however,  were  evidently  hardy 
men,  accustomed  to  exposure,  and  intent  upon  purposes 


JACKSON'S  FIEST  ENTBY  INTO  NEW  ORLEANS.      13 

too  absorbing  to  leave  any  consciousness  of  external 
discomforts.  Though  devoid  of  all  military,  display 
and  even  of  the  ordinary  equipments  of  soldiers,  tho 
bearing  and  appearance  of  these  men  betokened  their 
connection  with  the  profession  of  arms.  The  chief  of 
the  party,  which  was  composed  of  five  or  six  persons, 
was  a  tall,  gaunt  man,  of  very  erect  carriage,  with  a 
countenance  full  of  stern  decision  and  fearless  energy, 
but  furrowed  with  care  and  anxiety.  His  complexion 
was  sallow  and  unhealthy ;  his  hair  was  iron  grey,  and 
his  body  thin  and  emaciated,  like  that  of  one  who  had 
just  recovered  from  a  lingering  and  painful  sickness. 
But  the  fierce  glare  of  his  bright  and5  hawk-like  grey 
eye,  betrayed  a  soul  and  spirit  which  triumphed  over 
all  the  infirmities  of  the  body.  His  dress  was  simple, 
and  nearly  threadbare.  A  small  leather  cap  protected 
his  head,  and  a  short  Spanish  blue  cloak  his  body, 
whilst  his  feet  and  legs  were  encased  in  high  dragoon 
boots,  long  igorant  of  polish  or  blacking,  which  reached 
to  the  knees.  In  age,  he  appeared  to  have  passed  about 
forty-five  winters, — the  season  for  which  his  stern  and 
hardy  nature  seemed  peculiarly  adapted. 

The  others  of  the  party  were  younger  men,  whose 
spirits  and  movements  were  more  elastic  and  careless, 
and  who  relieved  the  weariness  of  the  journey  with 
many  a  jovial  story. 

Arriving  at  the  high  ground  near  the  junction  of  the 
Canal  Carondelet  with  the  Bayou  St.  John,  where  a 
bridge  spanned  the  bayou,  and  quite  a  village  had 
grown  up,  the  travellers  halted  before  an  old  Spanish 
villa,  and,  throwing  their  bridles  to  some  grinning 
negro  boys  at  the  gates,  dismounted  and  walked  into 
the  house.  On  entering  the  gallery,  they  were  received 


14  JACKSON    A.ND    NEW    OELEAN8. 

in  a  very  cordial  and  courteous  manner,  by  J.  Kilty 
(Smith,  Esq.,  then  a  leading  New-Orleans  merchant  of 
enterprise  and  public  spirit,  and  who,  a  few  months  ago, 
still  survived,  one  of  the  most  venerable  of  that  small 
band  of  the  early  American  settlers,  in  the  great  com- 
mercial emporium  of  the  South,  who,  out-living  several 
generations, 'still  linger  in  green  old  age,  amid  the  scenes 
of  their  youthful  struggles,  and  survey,  with  proud  satis- 
faction, the  greatness  to  which  that  city  has  grown, 
whose  tender  infancy  they  witnessed  and  helped  to 
nurse  and  rear  into  a  sturdy  and  robust  maturity.  On 
the  bayou,  in  an  agreeable  suburban  retreat,  Mr.  Smith 
had  established  himself.  Here  he  dispensed  a  liberal 
hospitality,  and  lived  in  such  a  style  as  was  regarded  in 
those  economical  days,  and  by  the  more  frugal  Spanish 
and  French  populations,  as  quite  extravagant  and 
luxurious. 

Ushering  them  into  the  marble-paved  hall  of  his  old 
Spanish  villa,  Mr.  Smith  soon  made  his  guests  comfort- 
able. It  was  evident  that  they  were  not  unexpected. 
Soon  the  company  were  all  seated  at  the  breakfast 
table,  which  fairly  groaned  with  the  abundance  of  gene- 
rous viands,  prepared  in  that  style  of  incomparable 
cookery,  for  which  the  Creoles  of  Louisiana  are  so 
renowned.  Of  this  rich  and  savory  food,  the  younger 
guests  partook  quite  heartily ;  but  the  elder  and  leader 
of  the  party  was  more  careful  and  abstemious,  confin- 
ing himself  to  some  boiled  hominy,  whose  whiteness 
rivaled  that  of  the  damask  table-cloth.  In  the  midst  of 
the  breakfast,  and  whilst  the  company  were  engaged  in 
discussing  the  news  of  the  day,  a  servant  whispered  tc 
the  host,  that  he  \vas  wanted  in  the  ante-room.  Excus- 
ing himself  to  his  guests,  Mr.  Smith  retired  to  the  ante- 


JACKSON'S  FIRST   ENTRY   INTO  NEW  ORLEANS.     15 

room,  and  there  found  himself  in  the  presence  of  an 
indignant  and  excited  Creole  lady,  a  neighbor,  who  had 
kindly  consented  to  superintend  the  preparations  in  Mr. 
Smith's  bachelor-establishment,  for  the  reception  of  - 
some  distinguished  strangers,  and  who,  in  that  behalf, 
had  imposed  upon  herself  a  severe  responsibility  and 
labor. 

"Ah!  Mr.  Smith,"  exclaimed  the  deceived  lady,  in 
a  half-reproachful,  half-indignant  style,  "how  could 
you  play  such  a  trick  upon  me  ?  You  asked  mo  to 
get  your  house  in  order  to  receive  a  great  General.  I 
did  so.  I  worked  myself  almost  to  death  to  make  your 
house  comme  il  faut,  and  prepared  a  splendid  dejeuner, 
and  now  I  find  that  all  my  labor  is  thrown  away  upon 
an  ugly,  old  Kaintuck-flat-boatman,  instead  of  your 
grand  General,  with  plumes,  epaulettes,  long  sword, 
and  moustache." 

It  was  in  vain  that  Mr.  Smith  strove  to  remove  the 
delusion  from  the  mind  of  the  irate  lady,  and  convince 
her  that  that  plainly-dressed,  jaundiced,  hard-featured, 
unshorn  man,  in  the  old  blue  coat,  and  bullet  buttons, 
was  that  famous  warrior,  Andrew  Jackson. 

It  was,  indeed,  Andrew  Jackson,  who  had  come,  fresh 
from  the  glories  and  fatigues  of  his  brilliant  Indian 
campaigns,  in  this  unostentatious  manner,  to  the  city 
which  he  had  been  sent  to  protect  from  one  of  the  most 
formidable  perils  that  ever  threatened  a  community. 
Cheerfully  and  happily  had  he  embraced  this  awful 
responsibility.  He  had  come  to  defend  a  defenceless 
city,  situated  in  the  most  remote  section  of  the  Union, 
— a  city  which  had  neither  fleets  nor  forts,  means  nor 
men — a  city,  whose  population  were  comparative 
strangers  to  that  of  the  other  States,  who  sprung  from 


16  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

a  different  national  stock,  and  spoke  a  different  lan- 
guage from  that  of  the  overwhelming  majority  of  their 
countrymen — a  language  entirely  unknown  to  the 
General — to  defend  it,  too,  against  a  power  then  victo- 
rious over  the  conqueror  of  the  world,  at  whose  feet  the 
mighty  Napoleon  lay  a  prostrate  victim  and  chained 
captive. 

After  partaking  of  their  breakfast,  the  General,  tak- 
ing out  his  watch,  reminded  his  companions  of  the 
necessity  of  their  early  entrance  into  the  city.  In  a 
few  minutes,  carriages  were  procured,  and  the  whole" 
party  rode  towards  the  city,  by  the  old  bayou  road. 
The  General  was  accompanied  by  Major  Hughes,  com- 
mander of  the  Fort  St.  John,  by  Major  Butler,  and 
Captain  Reid,  his  Secretary,  who  afterwards  became 
one  of  his  biographers,  Major  Chotard,  and  other 
officers  of  the  staff.  The  cavalcade  proceeded  to  the 
elegant  residence  of  Daniel  Clark,  the  first  representa- 
tive of  Louisiana,  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
a  gentleman  of  Irish  extraction,  who  had  acquired 
great  influence,  popularity,  and  wealth,  in  the  city,  and 
died  shortly  after  the  commencement  of  the  war  of 
1812.  Here  Jackson  and  his  aids  were  met  by  a  com- 
mittee of  the  State  and  city  authorities,  and  of  the 
people,  at  the  head  of  whom  was  the  Governor  of  the 
State,  who,  in  earnest  but  rather  rhetorical  terms,  wel- 
comed the  General  to  the  city,  and  proffered  him  every 
aid  of  the  authorities  and  the  people,  to  enable  him  to 
justify  the  title  which  they  were  already  conferring 
upon  him  of  "  Savior  of  New  Orleans."  His  Excel- 
lency, "W.  C.  C.  Claiborne,  the  first  American  Gover- 
nor of  Louisiana,  a  Virginian,  of  good  address,  and 
fluent  elocution,  then  in  the  bloom  of  life,  was  sup« 


JACKSON'S  FIRST  ENTRY  INTO  NEW  ORLEANS.      17 

ported  by  the  leading  civil  and  military  characters  of 
the  city.  There,  in  the  group  was  that  redoubtable 
naval  hero,  Commodore  Patterson,  a  stout,  compact, 
gallant-bearing  man,  in  the  neat  undress  naval  uniform. 
His  manner  was  slightly  marked  by  hauteur,  but  his 
movement  and  expression  indicated  the  energy  and 
boldness  of  a  man  of  decided  action,  as  well  as  confi- 
dent bearing. 

Here,  too,  was  the  then  Mayor  of  New  Orleans,  Nicholas 
Girod,  a  rotund,  affable,  pleasant  old  French  gentleman, 
of  easy,  polite  manners.  There,  too,  was  Edward  Liv- 
ingston, then  the  leading  civil  character  in  the  city, — 
a  tall,  high-shouldered  man,  of  ungraceful  figure  and 
homely  countenance,  but  whose  high  brow,  and  large, 
thoughtful  eyes,  indicated  a  profound  and  powerful 
intellect.  By  his  side  stood  his  youthful  rival  at  the 
the  bar — an  elegant,  graceful,  and  showily-dressed  gentle- 
man, whose  figure  combined  the  compact  dignity  and 
solidity  of  the  soldier,  with  the  ease  and  grace  of  the 
man  of  fashion  and  taste,  and  who,  as  the  sole  survivor 
of  those  named,  retained,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  the 
elegance  and  grace,  which  characterized  his  bearing 
forty  years  ago,  to  the  day  of  his  very  recent  and  lamented 
decease.  We  refer  to  John  Jfc.  Grymes,  so  long  the 
veteran  and  chief  ornament  of  the  New  Orleans  bar. 

Such  were  the  leading  personages  in  the  assembly 
which  greeted  Jackson's  entrance  into  New  Orleans. 

The  General  replied  briefly  to  the  welcome  of  the 
Governor.  He  declared  that  he  had  come  to  protect 
the  city,  and  he  would  drive  their  enemies  into  the  sea,  or 
perish  in  the  effort.  He  called  on  all  good  citizens  to 
rally  around  him  in  this  emergency,  and,  ceasing  all 
differences  and  divisions,  to  unite  with  him  in  the 


18  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

patriotic  resolve  to  save  their  city  from  the  dishonor 
and  disaster,  which  a  presumptuous  enemy  threatened  to 
inflict  upon  it.  This  address  was  rendered  into  French 
by  Mr.  Livingston.  It  produced  an  electric  effect  upon 
all  present.  Their  countenances  cleared  up.  Bright 
and  hopeful  were  the  words  and  looks  of  all,  who  heard 
the  thrilling  tones,  and  caught  the  heroic  glance  of  the 
hawk-eyed  General.  The  General  and  staff  then  re-en- 
tered their  carriages.  A  cavalcade  was  formed,  and 
proceeded  to  the  building,  106  Royal  street — one  of  the 
few  brick  buildings  then  existing  in  New  Orleans,  which 
now  stands  but  little  changed  or  affected  by  the  lapse 
of  so  many  years.  A  flag  unfurled  from  the  third  story, 
soon  indicated  to  the  population  the  headquarters  of  the 
General  who  had  come  so  suddenly  and  quietly  to  their 
rescue. 

It  was  true  he  had  come  almost  alone,  without  troops, 
without  arms,  without  money.  Nor  did  he  seek  to  sup- 
ply these  deficiencies  with  big  words,  large  promises, 
and  loud  vauntings.  He  had  a  more  efficient  means  of 
influencing  men,  a  more  powerful  wand  to  wield  over 
the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  people.  His  army  and  his 
armor,  his  strength  and  means,  consisted  in  the  prestige 
of  a  name  and  history,  which  were  then  as  familiar  as 
household  words  to  all  the  people  of  the  Yalley  x>f  the 
Mississippi,  a  recurrence  to  which  never  failed  to  en- 
kindle the  enthusiasm  and  excite  the  pride  of  the 
emporium  of  that  valley. 

What  were  these  glorious  antecedents,  that  drew  so 
much  of  popular  admiration  and  confidence  to  Andrew 
Jackson,  and  constitute  some  of  his  titles  to  the  renown, 
which  history  and  all  nations  assign  to  him  ?  Let  us 
briefly  sketch  them. 


JACKSON'S  FIRST  ENTRY  INTO  NEW  ORLEANS.        Id 

A  wild  aud  desolate  place  called  the  Waxhaw  Settle- 
ment, in  a  remote  district  of  South  Carolina,  was  the 
scene  of  Jackson's  birth  and  boyhood.  Throughout  the 
wide  Union  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  two  more 
dreary  and  desert-looking  localities,  than  those,  which 
have  been  consecrated  by  the  birth  of  the  two  most 
eminent  men  in  the  history  of  America — George  Wash- 
ington and  Andrew  Jackson. 

Jackson  was  born  on  the  15th  March,  1767.  His 
parents  were  emigrants  from  the  north  of  Ireland,  but 
of  Scotch  descent.  They  had  fled  from  the  persecutions 
and  dissensions  of  the  Old  World,  in  pursuit  of  peace 
and  happiness  in  the  New.  They  had  been  two  years 
in  the  country  when  Andrew  was  born.  Like  most 
great  men,  he  was  blessed  with  a  mother  of  uncommon 
intelligence  and  vigor  of  mind.  With  such  an  instruct- 
ress and  guardian,  his  intellect  early  developed,  and  his 
spirit  expanded  into  premature  manliness.  He  needed 
only  the  occasion  to  cast  his  thoughts  and  feelings  in  that 
heroic  mould,  which  constitutes  true  greatness.  Such 
opportunity  was  presented,  when  in  beardless  boyhood, 
he  found  himself  in  the  very  midst  of  some  of  the  most 
gloomy  scenes  of  the  Revolution  of  1776. 

In  old  age,  when  time  and  infirmity  pressed  heavily 
upon  that  sanguine  and  dauntless  spirit,  and  the  impres- 
sions of  youth  came  out  upon  the  memory  with  more 
distinctness,  that  tottering  old  man  of  the  Hermitage, 
with  his  shrivelled  visage  and  snowy  locks,  but  with 
eye  still  undimmed  and  piercing  as  ever,  would  recall, 
with  frightful  accuracy,  the  horrible  scenes  of  carnage, 
rapine,  and  desolation  which  had  made  that  boyhood,  to 
which  most  men  recur  as  the  bright  period  of  their  lives, 
the  gloomiest  and  saddest  epoch  in  his  career.  .  • 


20  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

When  a  stripling  of  thirteen,  with  scarcely  the  strength 
to  raise  a  musket,  he  joined  a  party  of  patriots,  under 
the  heroic  Sumpter,  and  in  the  action  at  Hanging  Rock, 
and  in  various  skirmishes,  showed  himself  to  be  a  boy 
only  in  years.  His  biographers  relate  several  instances 
in  which  his  ready  courage  and  self-possession  saved 
himself  and  his  companions  from  death  and  capture. 
Even  then  he  was  a  chief  among  men,  and  often  assumed 
the  leadership  of  those  who  were  old  enough  to  be  his 
father. 

Captured,  at  last,  by  the  British,  with  his  brother,  he 
was  subjected  to  the  most  cruel  treatment.  When,  with 
characteristic  spirit,  he  refused  to  perform  some  menial 
office  for  a  British  officer,  he  was  dastardly  cut  down 
by  the  blow  of  a  sabre,  the  mark  of  which  was  visible 
ever  afterwards.  A  similar  cruelty  to  his  elder  brother 
eventually  produced  his  death.  Closely  confined  in  a 
British  prison,  Andrew  contracted  a  disease  from  which 
he  barely  escaped  with  his  life,  and  the  effects  of  which 
were  felt  by  him  for  many  years  after.  It  was  whilst 
suffering  with  this  disease,  and  nearly  mad  with  fever 
and  pain,  that  the  young  soldier,  hearing  that  a  battle 
was  to  be  fought  within  view  of  the  prison  windows, 
contrived,  by  the  exertion  of  all  his  strength,  to  climb 
up  the  wall  to  a  small  port-hole,  which  commanded  a 
view  of  the  field  of  strife.  It  was  thus  the  boy  warrior 
witnessed  the  first  and  only  pitched  battle  that  ever  oc 
curred  under  his  observation  previous  to  the  events  we 
are  about  to  relate. 

This  was  the  severely-contested  battle  of  Camden,  of 
which  Jackson  never  failed  to  retain  a  clear,  distinct, 
and  vivid  recollection. 

Such  were  the  scenes  and  sufferings  amid  which  the 


JACKSON'S  FIRST  ENTRY  INTO  NEW  ORLEANS.        21 

boyhood  of  Jackson  was  passed.  It  was  a  severe  school, 
and  its  effects  were  quite  perceptible  in  that  staunch, 
unyielding  spirit,  heroic  fortitude,  and  dauntless  resolu- 
tion, which  distinguished  him  through  life. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  Jackson  found  him- 
self alone  in  the  world,  the  solitary  survivor  of  a  family, 
which,  twenty  years  before,  had  left  Ireland,  with  bright 
hopes  of  finding  in  the  forests  of  America,  a  peaceful, 
happy  home.  These  circumstances  were  well  calculated 
to  impart  to  the  character  of  Jackson,  that  tinge  of 
melancholy  which  it  wore  through  life.  This  feeling  o* 
loneliness  and  keen  sense  of  wrong,  in  the  high-day  of 
youth,  broke  out  into  reckless  dissipation,  which,  how- 
ever, was  always  redeemed  and  qualified  by  a  spirit  of 
generosity  and  chivalry.  Conquering  this  tendency, 
after  expending  his  patrimony,  Jackson,  with  dauntless 
heart  and  iron  will,  threw  himself  among  the  hardy  and 
reckless  frontiersmen  of  Tennessee,  and  engaged  in  the 
perilous  practice  of  law,  at  a  time,  and  in  a  country, 
when  and  where  a  good  eye,  steady  nerve,  and  prowess 
and  courage  in  personal  combat,  were  more  essential  to 
the  success  of  a  lawyer,  than  a  knowledge  of  Coke  and 
Blackstone.  Jackson  possessed  these  qualifications  of 
"  sharp  practice  "  in  an  eminent  degree.  His  professional 
career  was  a  perilous  and  contentious  one.  It  was 
better  adapted  to  train  and  form  the  warrior  than  the 
jurisconsult.  The  courage,  which  had  been  so  severely 
tested  in  the  Revolution,  was  frequently  required  to 
repel  the  aggressions  of  those  pestilent  bullies,  who 
always  abound  in  frontier  settlements.  Through  many 
dangerous  conflicts,  the  impetuous  young  Carolinian  had 
to  fight  his  way  to  a  position,  which  secured  him  the 
fear  and  awe  of  the  disorderly,  and  the  respect  and  con- 


22  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Science  of  the  hardy  settlers.  Chivalrous  and  generous, 
as  determined  and  ferocious,  he  was  the  leader  in  all 
enterprises  to  protect  the  weak  and  defenceless.  Patri- 
otic and  high-toned,  he  was  ever  ready  to  risk  his  life, 
to  maintain  the  laws  of  his  country,  and  enforce  justice 
and  lawful  authority.  Thus  the  "Sharp  Knife"  and 
"  Pointed  Arrow  "  of  the  Indians,  was  not  only  a  terror 
to  the  prowling  aborigines,  who  hung  around  the  settle- 
ments, but  to  the  even  more  ferocious  frontiersmen,  who 
straggled  from  more  populous  and  better  organized  dis- 
tricts, in  the  hope  of  getting  beyond  the  reach  of  the  law 
and  justice,  and  finding  larger  and  safer  fields  for  their 
deeds  of  violence  and  crime. 

Calle.d  by  the  people  successively  to  the  civil  offices 
of  member  of  the  State  Convention,  Representative  and 
Senator  in  Congress,  and  lastly  Supreme  Judge  of  the 
State,  Jackson  displayed  in  all  these  positions,  the  same 
firm  spirit  and  fearless  courage,  united  with  great  saga- 
city, and  that  remarkable  courtesy  and  impressiveness 
of  manner,  which  excited  so  much  surprise  in  all  per- 
sons, who  never  having  before  seen  him,  but  familiar 
with  his  character  and  acts,  were  suddenly  brought  into 
his  presence. 

The  life  and  character,  we  have  thus  imperfectly  de- 
scribed, clearly  indicate  the  man  who  would  be  selected 
from  a  million  for  high  military  command.  And  yet, 
when  the  war  of  1812  broke  out,  Jackson  sought  a  com- 
mand in  vain.  His  friends  and  neighbors  understood 
and  appreciated  his  merits ;  but  those  charged  with  the 
administration  of  the  Federal  Government  did  not.  He 
only  asked  for  a  commission,  offering  to  raise  the  com- 
mand himself  in  thirty  days.  But  he  was  no  intri- 
guer, and  his  pretensions  were  ignored.  Others  were 


JACKSON'S  FIRST  ENTRY  INTO  NEW  ORLEANS.        23 

appointed.  Disaster  after  disaster  followed.  The  tra- 
gedy of  the  River  Raisin,  and  the  disgraceful  failure  of 
the  Northern  Campaign,  tilled  the  whole  country,  and 
especially  the  gallant  West,  with  grief  and  humiliation. 
Thousands  panted  to  wipe  out  these  blots  from  the 
escutcheon  of  the  Union,  with  their  heart's  blood.  But 
alas !  the  Government  at  Washington  was  in  the  hands 
of  "  closet  warriors,"  and  political  .  abstractionists, — 
"  ideologists,"  in  the  sense  of  Napoleon's  characterization 
of  the  Republicans  of  the  Abbe  Sieyes  school.  Slighted 
and  rejected  by  the  government,  Jackson's  ardor  and 
ambition  to  serve  his  country  were  not  extinguished  in 
the  chagrin  of  personal  disappointment.  He  deter- 
mined to  force  himself  into  the  service,  by  raising  a  large 
volunteer  corps,  and  so  organizing  it,  that  the  govern- 
ment would  be  compelled  to  recognize  its  value  and 
muster  it  into  service.  The  gallant  youth  of  Tennessee 
quickly  rallied  to  his  call.  Having  soon  collected,  and 
organized  the  requisite  force,  he  at  once  tendered  his 
services,  was  accepted  by  the  government,  and  ordered 
to  proceed  to  Natchez,  a  distance  of  a  thousand  miles. 
This  march  was  performed  in  the  depth  of  winter, 
through  a  wild  and  difficult  country,  with  new  and 
young  soldiers. 

On  his  arrival  at  Natchez,  he  was  destined  to  receive 
new  mortifications.  Suddenly  there  came  an  order  to 
disband  his  troops,  and  deliver  over  the  public  stores, 
arms,  and  munitions  to  an  agent  of  the  government. 
It  was  a  cruel  and  incomprehensible  order.  The  sol- 
diers were  youths,  the  sons  of  his  neighbors  and  friends. 
He  was  bound  to  them  by  stronger  and  dearer  ties,  than 
even  those  of  the  chief  to  his  followers.  He  had  pledged 
his  honor  to  venerable  fathers  and  mothers,  to  loving 


24  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

•wives  and  sisters,  to  protect  their  sons,  husbands,  and 
brothers,  and  lead  them  back  to  their  homes.  Could  he 
obey  this  revolting  command,  and  then  go  home  and 
face  his  old  friends  and  neighbors,  who  had  been  thus 
shamefully  deceived  ?  To  the  soldier  and  citizen  it  was 
a  severe  alternative,  but  Jackson  did  not  hesitate.  He 
disregarded  the  order,  and  marched  his  whole  command 
back  to  Tennessee,  through  incredible  toils  and  suffer- 
ings. He  had  encountered  no  enemy,  and  yet,  in  that 
brief  campaign,  he  had  displayed  higher  and  nobler 
traits,  than  those  which  shine  through  the  smoke  and 
carnage  of  battle.  He  had  shown  that  iron  firmness 
and  fortitude,  that  heroic  devotion  to  his  companions, 
which  secured  him  their  lasting  gratitude,  affection,  and 
confidence,  to  a  degree  that  rendered  his  control  and 
influence  over  them  unlimited.  When  the  war-blast 
sounded,  the  youth  of  Tennessee  knew  in  whom  to  find 
a  chief  worthy  to  lead  them. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  tocsin  rang  throughout  the 
"West. 

Tecumseh,  the  great  Indian  Chief,  aided  by  the  in- 
trigues of  the  Spaniards  in  Florida,  and  the  British,  had 
succeeded  in  uniting  the  formidable  tribes  of  Indians  in 
the  Mississippi  Territory,  the  Chickasaws,  Cherokees, 
and  Creeks,  into  a  powerful  league  and  conspiracy  to 
attack  and  destroy  the  most  exposed  white  settlements. 
The  fearful  massacre  at  Fort  Mimms  was  the  first  de- 
monstration of  this  design.  It  fell  like  a  thunder  clap 
from  a  cloudless  sky,  on  the  southwest.  A  public  meet- 
ing was  held  at  Nashville,  to  devise  means  of  arresting 
and  punishing  these  depredations.  With  one  voice 
Jackson  was  designated  by  the  people  as  the  chief  in 
such  enterprise.  He  accepted  the  responsible  duty,  and 


JACKSON'S  FIRST  ENTRY  INTO  NEW  ORLEANS.       25 

issued  a  thrilling  appeal  to  the  young  men  of  Tennessee 
to  assemble  around  his  standard.  Twenty-five  hundred 
gallant  and  patriotic  men  promptly  responded  to  this 
call. 

At  the  head  of  this  force,  though  still  suffering  from  a 
severe  wound  received  in  a  personal  rencontre  with  the 
Bentons,  Jackson  marched  rapidly  to  the  southward  to 
the  scene  of  the  Indian  cruelties.  After  many  delays 
and  difficulties,  which  would  have  crushed  the  energies 
of  almost  any  other  man,  Jackson  found  his  blood-thirsty 
enemy  strongly  posted  at  Tallahatchie.  His  "  right 
arm,"  the  intrepid  Coffee,  was  thrown  forward  with  a 
portion  of  his  force,  with  orders  to  dislodge  the  savages. 
The  order  was  obeyed  by  Coffee  with  characteristic 
energy  and  promptitude,  and  after  an  obstinate  conflict, 
the  Indians  were  entirely  routed,  with  a  loss  of  two 
hundred  killed  and  eighty-four  prisoners.  Thence,  after 
issuing  requisitions  for  reinforcements  from  Tennessee, 
and  after  establishing  Fort  Stockton,  Jackson  advanced 
rapidly  to  the  relief  of  Fort  Talladega,  where  a  small 
force  of  Americans  was  surrounded  and  threatened  with 
instant  destruction  by  more  than  a  thousand  fierce  war 
riors.  Without  resting  his  men,  Jackson  pushed  forward 
and  fell,  with  the  fury  of  a  tempest,  on  the  surprised 
savages.  The  field  for  some  distance  around  was  strewn 
with  the  gory  bodies  of  painted  warriors.  Those  who 
survived  the  attack  and  escaped  the  vengeance  of 
"Sharp  Knife,"  fled  with  terror  into  the  deepest  recesses 
of  the  forest.  But  these  victories,  prompt,  brilliant,  and 
decisive  as  they  were,  did  not  afford  the  best  tests  of 
Jackson's  military  genius.  His  real  trial  was  yet  to 
come.  He  did  not  have  to  wait  long  for  it. 

2 


26  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

J  ackson  had  moved  so  rapidly,  and  penetrated  so  far 
from  the  base  of  his  operations,  that  he  soon  found  him- 
self in  great  stress  for  provisions  and  munitions.  The 
promised  supplies  had  failed.  There  was  no  evidence 
in  the  Southwest,  of  the  existence  of  a  central  Govern- 
ment, to  aid  and  further  military  operations.  Thus  far, 
he  had  maintained  himself  by  his  own  credit.  This  re- 
source was  exhausted,  and  now  Jackson  found  himself 
in  the  severest  strait  of  the  military  commander.  He 
had  to  keep  up  the  spirits  and  discipline  of  raw  volun- 
teer troops,  under  the  pressure  of  hunger,  want,  and 
sickness.  Never  did  his  heroic  soul  shine  out  with 
greater  splendor  than  in  this  emergency.  Cheerfully 
he  shared  the  bitterest  trials  and  sufferings  of  his  men, 
selecting  the  offal  of  the  few  cattle  left  to  them  for  his 
rations,  and  allowing  his  sick  men  the  wholesome  meat, 
dividing  his  acorns  with  a  fellow-soldier,  and  giving  his 
blankets,  so  much  needed  for  his  own  wasted  frame,  to 
some  wounded  companion.  But  even  this  example  of 
heroic  fortitude  could  not  prevail  over  the  gnawings  of 
hunger.  His  men  grew  clamorous  and  mutinous. 
What  he  would  not  concede  to  violence,  he  cheerfully 
yielded  to  reason.  He  consented  to  return,  until  they 
could  meet  some  supplies.  The  troops  had  not  proceeded 
far  before  they  met  a  large  drove  of  cattle,  which  had 
been  dispatched  to  them  by  some  of  Jackson's  agents. 
Oh,  with  what  zest  and  eagerness  did  those  famished 
men  devour  the  fresh  meat,  which  the  foresight  and 
energv  of  their  General  had  thus  procured  for  them ! 
But  swety  did  not  restore  their  spirits,  nor  invigorate 
their  sense  of  duty.  They  still  longed  for  their  homes, 
and  persisted  ir  returning.  Jackson,  ordered  them  to 


JACKSON'S  FIKST  ENTRY   INTO  NEW  ORLEANS.       27 

retrace  their  steps,  and  pursue  the  enemy.  They  sul- 
tenly  refused  to  obey,  and,  forming  the  column,  were 
about  to  resume  their  march  homeward. 

Now  was  the  time  for  action,  for  resolution,  for  heroic, 
sublime  courage.  Mounting  his  charger,  Jackson  rode 
to  the  front,  and  seizing  a  musket  from  one  of  the  men, 
levelled  it  at  the  head  of  the  column,  and  swore,  "  by  the 
Eternal,"  he  would  shoot  the  first  man  who  advanced  a 
step.  The  men  were  astounded  by  his  audacity  and 
resolution.  They  knew  he  was  a  man  of  his  word. 
Two  thousand  impatient,  fiery,  self-willed  frontiersmen, 
who  were  little  accustomed  to  restraint  or  control,  thus 
awed,  by  one  emaciate,  weak,  broken-armed  man! 
Presently,  some  of  the  men,  ashamed  of  their  conduct, 
went  over  to  him  and  pledged  their  lives  to  sustain  him. 
Finally,  they  yielded  to  Jackson's  resolution,  and  agreed 
to  resume  their  march  forward. 

New  difficulties  and  sufferings  again  aroused  the 
spirit  of  mutiny,  and  another  attempt  to  depart  home- 
ward was  made  and  resisted  in  the  same  prompt  and 
decisive  manner.  At  last,  Jackson  having  carried  his 
point,  and  entirely  suppressed  the  rebellious  tendencies 
of  his  men,  deemed  it  best  to  send  home  the  greater 
part  of  his  troops,  and  defer  further  operations  for  some 
months.  With  a  few  faithful  officers  and  soldiers,  he 
established  himself  at  Fort  Stockton. 

In  January,  1814,  having  been  joined  by  a  force  of 
raw  troops,  Jackson  pushed  forward  to  Emuckfaw,  on 
the  Tallapoosa.  Near  this  place  he  was  suddenly  at- 
tacked with  great  fury,  by  a  powerful  force  of  Indians, 
whom  he  defeated  in  a  close  hand-to-hand  fight.  But 
his  force  was  too  weak  to  follow  up  this  advantage,  so 
he  determined  to  return  to  Fort  Stockton.  It  was  on 


28  JACKSON    AND    NEW    OBLEAN8. 

his  return  march,  that  the  enemy  surprised  Jackson's 
rear  guard,  at  Enotchhopo.  A  momentary  panic  was 
created,  and  the  Indians  were  rapidly  breaking  into  the 
very  centre  of  the  column,  when  the  gallant  Armstrong 
(the  late  General  Robert  Armstrong,  of  the  Washington 
Union),  arrested  their  advance  by  the  effective  discharge 
of  a  small  piece  of  ordnance,  of  which  he  had  charge, 
and  by  the  side  of  which  he  fell,  desperately  wounded. 
As  he  lay  bleeding  on  the  ground,  with  crowds  of  savage 
enemies  pressing  around  him  impatient  for  his  scalp, 
Armstrong  called  out,  "  Some  of  us  must  fall,  but  save 
the  gun !"  Carroll,  too,  a  young  and  intrepid  officer, 
rushed  to  the  relief  of  Armstrong.  He  was  followed  by 
the  famous  spy-captain  of  Duck  River,  Gordon,  who, 
pressing  closely  on  the  left  of  the  enemy,  held  them  in 
check  until  Jackson  could  bring  up  the  main  body, 
which  he  rapidly  effected,  and  falling  upon  them,  soon 
put  them  to  flight  with  great  loss,  causing  their  precipi- 
tate dispersion  through  the  country  in  the  most  destitute 
and  panic-stricken  condition. 

This  affair  concluded  Jackson's  second  campaign. 
He  returned  to  Fort  Stockton,  and  discharged  his  men 
with  high  testimonials  to  their  good  conduct.  Soon 
after,  he  was  joined  by  a  fresh  army  of  nearly  three 
thousand  men,  with  which  he  determined  to  advance, 
and  annihilate,  at  one  blow,  the  hostile  tribes.  Learning 
that  the  Indians  had  collected  in  large  force,  in  a  spot 
regarded  by  them  as  holy  ground,  situated  in  the  bend 
of  the  Tallapoosa  River,  called  from  its  shape  Tohopeka, 
or  the  Horse-shoe,  he  inarched  thither. 

The  Indians  were  stationed  behind  a  well-constructed 
breastwork  thrown  across  the  neck.  Sending  Coffee  to 
surround  the  bend,  Jackson  opened  a  cannonade  upon 


JACKSON'S  FIRST  ENTRY   INTO  NEW   ORLEANS.      29 

their  defences  in  front.  This  plan  not  succeeding  against 
so  agile  and  wary  a  foe,  Jackson  resolved  to  storm  their 
works.  This  was  done  with  the  greatest  ardor  and  hero- 
ism by  the  intrepid  Tennesseans.  It  was  a  close  and 
bloody  fight,  of  man  to  man.  The  Indians,  instigated 
by  superstition,  as  well  as  by  their  natural  blood-thirsti- 
ness, fought  with  more  than  usual  desperation.  They 
bared  their  breasts  to  the  gleaming  knives,  and  with 
their  small  tomahawks  fearlessly  threw  themselves  on 
the  bayonets  of  their  pale-face  enemies.  It  was  as  ter- 
rible, and  for  the  numbers  engaged,  as  destructive  a 
conflict  as  ever  occurred.  The  breastwork  was  stormed 
by  the  Tennesseans  ;  the  charm  of  invincibility  was 
broken,  and  the  "  sacred  ground  "  of  the  Eed  Sticks 
was  strewn  with  eight  hundred  dead  warriors.  There 
were  no  wounded  in  those  battles.  The  Red  Stick  was 
only  conquered  in  battle  when  life  was  extinct. ' 

Thus  Jackson  redeemed  his  pledge.  The  Red  Sticks, 
as  a  tribe,  were  annihilated.  The  few  survivors  fled  to 
the  Spanish  settlements  in  Florida.  Some  humbly 
sought  for  peace  and  pardon,  which  Jackson,  as  gener- 
ous as  brave,  cheerfully  granted. 

This  victory  for  ever  destroyed  the  power  of  the  war- 
like tribes  of  the  Southwest,  and  made  them  ever  after- 
wards, either  friends  or  very  timid  foes  of  the  whites. 
It  was  a  brilliant  conclusion  of  Jackson's  Indian  cam- 
paign. He  began  now  to  be  known  abroad.  The  peo- 
ple all  over  the  country  applauded  his  heroic  bearing, 
under  all  circumstances,  against  starvation,  mutiny,  de- 
sertion and  disaffection,  as  well  as  against  the  rifles  and 
tomahawks  of  his  savage  enemies.  Even  the  torpid 
Government  at  Washington,  which  had  failed  to  recog- 
nize his  rights  before,  now  hastened  to  redeem  its  error, 


30  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

by  appointing  him  to  the  Major-Generalship,  made 
vacant  by  the  resignation  of  William  Henry  Harrison. 
Jackson's  first  duty,  in  his  new  command  was,  to  nego- 
tiate a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Indians,  and  to  guard 
generally  the  Southwestern  frontier. 

It  was  in  the  discharge  of  this  duty  he  approached 
the  Gulf  shore,  to  observe  the  intrigues  of  the  Span- 
iards, who  were  charged  with  giving  aid  and  comfort  to 
the  Indians  in  their  inroads  on  the  white  settlements. 
A  much  more  formidable  and  important  enemy,  was 
also  implicated  in  that  infamous  alliance  with  barbarians. 
The  British  were  virtually  in  possession  of  Pensacola. 
The  soul  of  Jackson  fired  with  the  recollection  of  the 
cruelties  his  family  had  suffered  at  the  hands  of  his 
hereditary  enemy,  in  the  Revolution  of  1776.  He  longed 
to  avenge  those  wrongs,  not  l^y  like  cruelties,  but  by 
legitimate  victories  obtained  in  manly  warfare.  We 
shall  soon  see,  whether  he  was  disappointed  in  this  hon- 
orable revenge  ;  whether  the  military  genius,  which  had 
been  nursed  amid  the  fearful  struggles  of  the  War  of 
Independence,  which  had  been  trained  and  disciplined 
by  the  trying  scenes  and  perils  of  frontier  life,  and  in 
warfare  against  brave  and  desperate  savages,  will  not 
shine  even  more  brilliantly  and  gloriously  in  a  highei 
sphere,  and  on  a  grander  scale  of  warlike  achievement. 


LAFLTTK,  "THE  PIRATE."  •       31 


n. 


LAFTTTE,    "  THE   PIRATE.** 


A.BOUT  one  mile  above  New  Orleans,  oppceite  the 
nourishing  City  of  Jefferson,  and  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Mississippi,  there  is  a  small  canal,  now  used  by  fish- 
ermen and  hunters,  which  approaches  within  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  of  the  river's  bank. 

The  small  craft  that  ply  on  this  canal  are  taken  up  on 
cars,  which  run  into  the  water  by  an  inclined  plane,  and 
are  then  hauled  by  mules  to  the  river.  Launched  upon 
the  rapid  current  of  the  Mississippi,  these  boats  are  soon 
borne  into  the  Crescent  port  of  New  Orleans.  Follow- 
ing this  canal,  which  runs  nearly  due  west  for  five  or 
six  miles,  we  reach  a  deep,  narrow,  and  tortuous  bayon. 
Descending  this  bayou,  which  for  forty  miles  threads  its 
sluggish  course  through  an  impenetrable  swamp,  we 
pass  into  a  large  lake,  girt  with  sombre  forests  and 
gloomy  swamps,  and  resonant  with  the  hoarse  croakings 
of  alligators,  and  the  screams  of  swamp  fowls. 

From  this  lake,  by  a  still  larger  bayou,  we  pass  into 
another  lake,  and  from  that  to  another,  until  we  reach 
an  island,  on  which  are  discernible,  at  a  considerable 
distance,  several  elevated  knolls,  and  where  a  scant 
vegetation  and  a  few  trees  maintain  a  feeble  existence. 
At  the  lower  end  of  this  island,  there  are  some  curious 


32    •       JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

aboriginal  vestiges,  in  the  shape  of  high  mounds  of 
shells,  which  are  thought  to  mark  the  burial  of  some 
extinct  tribes.  This  surmise  has  been  confirmed  by 
the  discovery  of  human  bones  below  the  surface  of 
these  mounds.  The  elevation  formed  by  the  series 
of  mounds,  is  known  as  the  Temple,  from  a  tradition 
that  the  Natchez  Indians  used  to  assemble  there  to 
offer  sacrifices  to  their  chief  deity,  the  "  Great  Sun." 
This  lake  or  bayou  finally  disembogues  into  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  by  two  outlets,  between  which  lies  the 
beautiful  island  of  Grand  Terre. 

This  island  is  a  pleasant  sea-side  resort,  having  a 
length  of  six  miles,  and  an  average  breadth  of  a  mile 
and  a-half.  Towards  the  sea  it  presents  a  fine  beach, 
where  those  who  love  "  the  rapture  of  the  lonely  shore," 
who  delight  in  the  roar  and  dash  of  the  foaming  billows, 
and  in  the  ecstasy  of  a  bath  in  the  pure,  bracing  surge, 
may  find  abundant  means  of  pleasure  and  enjoyment. 

Grand  Terre  is  now  occupied  and  cultivated  by  a 
Creole  family,  as  a  sugar  plantation,  producing  annually 
four  or  five  hundred  hogsheads  of  sugar.  At  the  west- 
ern extremity  of  the  island  stands  a  large  and  powerful 
fortification,  which  has  been  quite  recently  erected  by 
the  United  States,  and  named  after  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished benefactors  of  Louisiana,  Edward  Livingston. 
This  fort  commands  the  western  entrance  or  strait  lead- 
ing from  the  Gulf  into  the  lake  or  bay  of  Barataria. 
Here,  safely  sheltered,  some  two  or  three  miles  from  the 
gulf,  is  a  snug  little  harbor,  where  vessels  drawing  from 
seven  to  eight  feet  water,  may  ride  in  safety,  out  of 
the  reach  of  the  fierce  storms  that  so  often  sweep  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 

Here  may  be  found,  even  now,  the  foundations  of 


LAFITTE,    "  THE   PIRATE."  33 

bouses,  the  brickwork  of  a  rude  fort,  and  otber  evi- 
dences of  an  ancient  settlement.  Tbis  is  tbe  spot  which 
bas  become  so  famous  in  tbe  history  and  romances  of  tbe 
Southwest,  as  tbe  "  Pirate's  Home,"  tbe  retreat  of  tbe 
dread  Corsair  of  tbe  Gull',  wbom  tbe  genius  of  Byron, 
and  of  many  succeeding  poets  and  novelists,  bas  conse- 
crated as  one  wbo 

"  Left  a  corsair's  name  to  other  times, 
Linked  with  one  virtue  and  a  thousand  crimes." 

Sucb  is  poetry — sucb  is  romance.  But  autbentic  bis- 
tory, by  wbicb  alone  tbese  sketcbes  are  guided,  dissi- 
pates all  tbese  fine  flights  of  tbe  poet  and  romancer. 

Jean  Lafitte,  tbe  so-called  Pirate  and  Corsair,  was  a 
blacksmitb  from  Bordeaux,  France,  wbo,  witbin  tbe 
recollection  of  several  old  citizens  now  living  in  New 
Orleans,  kept  bis  forge  at  tbe  corner  of  Bourbon  and  St. 
Pbillip  streets.  He  bad  an  older  brother,  Pierre,  wbo 
was  a  seafaring  character,  and  bad  served  in  tbe  French 
Navy.  Neither  were  pirates,  and  Jean  knew  not 
enough  of  tbe  art  of  navigation  to  manage  a  jolly  boat. 
But  be  was  a  man  of  good  address  and  appearance,  of 
considerable  shrewdness,  of  generous  and  liberal  heart, 
and  adventurous  spirit. 

Shortly  after  the  cession  of  Louisiana  to  tbe  United 
States,  a  series  of  events  occurred  which  made  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  the  arena  of  tbe  most  extensive  and  profita- 
ble privateering.  First  came  the  war  between  France 
and  Spain,  which  afforded  the  inhabitants  of  the  French 
islands  a  good  pretence  to  depredate  upon  the  rich  com- 
merce of  tbe  Spanish  possessions — the  most  valuable 
and  productive  in  the  New  World.  The  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico and  Caribbean  Sea  swarmed  with  privateers,  owned 

2* 


34:  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

and  employed  by  men  of  all  nations,  who  obtained  their 
commissions  (by  purchase)  from  the  French  authorities 
at  Martinique  and  Guadalupe.  Among  these  were  not 
a  few  neat  and  trim  crafts  belonging  to  the  staid  citizens 
of  New  England,  who,  under  the  tri-color  of  France, 
experienced  no  scruples  in  perpetrating  acts  which, 
though  not  condemned  by  the  laws  of  nations,  in  their 
spirit  as  well  as  in  their  practical  results,  bear  a  strong 
resemblance  to  piracy.  The  British  capture  and  occu- 
pation of  Guadalupe  and  Martinique,  in  1806,  in  which 
expeditions  Col.  Ed.  Packenham,  who  will  figure  con- 
spicuously in  these  sketches,  distinguished  himself,  and 
received  a  severe  wound,  broke  up  a  favorite  retreat  of 
these  privateers.  Shortly  after  this,  Columbia  declared 
her  independence  of  Spain,  and  invited  to  her  port  of 
Carthagena,  the  patriots  and  adventurers  of  all  nations, 
to  aid  her  struggle  against  the  mother  country.  Thither 
flocked  all  the  privateers  and  buccaneers  of  the  Gulf. 
Commissions  were  promptly  given  or  sold  to  them,  to 
sail  under  the  Columbian  flag,  and  to  prey  upon  the 
commerce  of  poor  old  Spain,  who,  invaded  and  despoiled 
at  home,  had  neither  means  nor  spirit  to  defend  her  dis- 
tant possessions. 

The  success  of  the  privateers  was  brilliant.  It  is  a 
narrow  line,  at  the  best,  which  divides  piracy  from  pri- 
vateering, and  it  is  not  at  all  wonderful  that  the  reck- 
less sailors  of  the  Gulf  sometimes  lost  sight  of  it.  The 
shipping  of  other  countries  was,  no  doubt,  frequently 
mistaken  for  that  of  Spain.  Rapid  fortunes  were  made 
in  this  business.  Capitalists  embarked  their  means  in 
equipping  vessels  for  privateering.  Of  course  they 
were  not  responsible  for  the  excesses  which  were  com 
mitted  by  those  in  their  employ,  nor  did  they  trouble 


LAFITTE,    <:  THE   PIRATE."  36 

themselves  to  inquire  into  all  the  acts  of  their  agents. 
Finally,  however,  some  attention  was  excited  by  this 
wholesale  system  of  legalized  pillage.  The  privateers 
found  it  necessary  to  secure  some  safe  harbor,  into  which 
they  could  escape  from  the  ships  of  war,  where  they 
could  be  sheltered  from  the  northers,  and  where,  too, 
they  could  establish  a  depot  for  the  sale  and  smuggling 
of  their  spoils.  It  was  a  sagacious  thought  which  se- 
lected the  little  bay  or  cove  of  Grand  Terre  for  this  pur- 
pose. It  was  called  Barataria,  and  several  huts  and 
store-houses  were  built  there,  and  cannon  planted  on  the 
beach.  Here  rallied  the  privateers  of  the  Gulf,  with 
their  fast-sailing  schooners,  armed  to  the  teeth  and 
manned  by  fierce-looking  men,  who  wore  sharp  cut- 
lasses, and  might  be  taken  anywhere  for  pirates,  without 
oifence.  They  were  the  desperate  men  of  all  nations, 
embracing  as  well  those  who  had  occupied  respectable 
positions  in  the  naval  or  merchant  service,  who  were  in- 
stigated to  their  present  pursuit  by  the  love  of  gain,  as 
those  who  had  figured  in  the  bloody  scenes  of  the  buc- 
caneers of  the  Spanish  Main.  Besides  its  inaccessibility 
to  vessels  of  war,  the  Bay  of  Barataria  recommended 
itself  by  another  important  consideration :  it  was  near 
to  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  the  mart  of  the  growing 
valley  of  the  Mississippi,  and  from  it  the  lakes  and 
bayous  aiforded  an  easy  water  communication,  nearly  to 
the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  city.  A  regular  organization  of  the  privateers  was 
established,  officers  were  chosen,  and  agents  appointed 
in  New  Orleans  to  enlist  men,  and  negotiate  the  sale  of_ 
goods. 

Among  the  most  active  and  sagacious  of  these  town 
agents,  was  the  blacksmith  of  St.  Phillip  street,  who, 


36  JAUKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

following  the  example  of  much  greater  and  more  pre- 
tentious men,  abandoned  his  sledge  and  anvil,  and 
embarked  in  the  lawless  and  more  adventurous  career  of 
smuggling  and  privateering.  Gradually  by  his  success, 
enterprise,  and  address,  Jean  Lafitte  obtained  such 
ascendancy  over  the  lawless  congregation  at  Bara- 
taria,  that  they  elected  him  their  Captain  or  Com- 
mander. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  this  choice  gave  great  dissat- 
isfaction to  some  of  the  more  warlike  of  the  privateers, 
and  particularly  to  Gambio,  a  savage,  grim  Italian,  who 
did  not  scruple  to  prefer  the  title  and  character  of 
"  Pirate,"  to  the  puling,  hypocritical  one  of  "  Privateer." 
But  it  is  said,  and  the  story  is  verified  by  an  aged  Ital- 
ian, one  of  the  only  two  survivors  of  the  Baratarians, 
now  resident  in  Grand  Terre,  who  rejoices  in  the 
"nom  de  guerre"  indicative  of  a  ghastly  sabre  cut 
across  the  face,  of  " Nez  Coupe"  that  Lafitte  found  it 
necessary  to  sustain  his  authority  by  some  terrible  ex- 
ample, and  when  one  of  Gambio's  followers  resisted  his 
orders,  he  shot  him  through  the  heart  before  the  whole 
band.  Whether  this  story  be  true  or  not,  there  can  be 
uo  doubt  that  in  the  year  1813,  when  the  association 
had  attained  its  greatest  prosperity,  Lafitte  held  undis- 
puted authority  and  control  over  it.  He  certainly  con  • 
ducted  his  administration  with  energy  and  ability.  A 
large  fleet  of  small  vessels  rode  in  the  harbor,  besides 
others  that  were  cruising.  Their  store-houses  were  filled 
with  valuable  goods.  Hither  resorted  merchants  and 
traders  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  to  purchase  goods, 
which,  being  cheaply  obtained,  could  be  retailed  at  a 
large  profit.  A  number  of  small  vessels  were  employed 
in  transporting  goods  to  New  Orleans,  through  the 


LAFTTTE,    "  THE   PIRATE."  87 

bayou  we  have  described,  just  as  oysters,  fish  and  game 
are  now  brought. 

Oil  reaching  the  head  of  the  bayou,  these  goods  would 
be  taken  out  of  the  boats  and  placed  on  the  backs  of 
mules — to  be  carried  to  the  river  banks — whence  they 
would  be  ferried  across  into  the  city,  at  night.  In  the 
city  they  had  many  agents,  who  disposed  of  these  goods. 
By  this  profitable  trade,  several  citizens  of  New  Orleans 
laid  the  foundations  of  their  fortunes.  But  though  pro- 
fitable to  individuals,  this  trade  was  evidently  detri- 
mental to  regular  and  legitimate  commerce,  as  well  as 
to  the  revenue  of  the  Federal  Government.  Accord- 
ingly, several  efforts  were  made  to  break  up  the  associa- 
tion, but  the  activity  and  influence  of  their  city 
friends  generally  enabled  them  to  hush  up  such 
designs. 

Legal  prosecutions  were  commenced  on  7th  April, 
1813,  against  Jean  and  Pierre  Lafitte,  in  the  United 
States  District  Court  for  Louisiana,  charging  them  with 
violating  the  Revenue  and  Neutrality  Laws  of  the  Uni- 
ted States.  Nothing  is  said  about  piracy — the  gravest 
offence  charged,  being  simply  a  misdemeanor.  Even 
these  charges  were  not  sustained,  for,  although  both  the 
Lafittes,  and  many  others  of  the  Baratarians,  were  cap- 
tured by  Captain  Andrew  Holmes,  in  an  expedition 
down  the  bayou,  about  the  time  of  the  filing  of  these 
informations  against  them,  yet  it  appears  they  were  re- 
leased, and  the  prosecutions  never  came  to  trial,  the 
warrants  for  their  arrest  being  returned  "  not  found." 
These  abortive  proceedings  appear  to  have  given  encour 
agement  and  vigor  to  the  operations  of  the  Baratarians. 
Accordingly,  we  find  on  the  28th  July,  1814,  the  Grand 
Jury  of  New  Orleans  making  the  following  terrible  ex- 


3  JACKSON    AND    NEW     ORLEANS. 

posure  of  the  audacity  and  extent  of  these  unlawful 
transactions : 

"The  Grand  Jury  feel  it  a  duty  they  owe  to  society  to  state  that 
piracy  and  smuggling,  so  long  established  and  so  systematically  pur- 
sued by  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  State,  and  particularly  in 
this  city  and  vicinity,  that  the  Grand  Jury  find  it  difficult  legally  to 
establish  facts,  even  where  the  strongest  presumptions  are  offered. 

"  The  Grand  Jury,  impressed  with  a  belief  that  the  evils  com- 
plained of  have  impaired  public  confidence  and  individual  credit, 
injured  the  honest  fair  trader,  and  contributed  to  drain  our  country 
of  its  specie,  corrupted  the  morals  of  many  poor  citizens,  and  finally 
stamped  disgrace  on  our  State,  deem  it  a  duty  incumbent  on  them, 
by  this  public  presentation,  again  to  direct  the  attention  of  the 
public  to  this  serious  subject,  calling  upon  all  good  citizens  for  their 
most  active  exertions  to  suppress  the  evil,  and  by  their  pointed  dis- 
approbation of  every  individual  who  maybe  concerned,  directly  or 
indirectly  in  such  practices,  in  some  measure  to  remove  the  stain 
that  has  fallen  on  all  classes  of  society  in  the  minds  of  the  good 
people  of  our  sister  States." 

The  Report  concludes  with  a  severe  reproof  of  the 
Executive  of  the  State,  and  of  the  United  States,  for 
neglecting  the  proper  measures  to  suppress  these  evil 
practices. 

The  tenor  of  this  presentment  leads  to  the  belief  that 
the  word  "  piracy,"  as  used  by  the  Grand  Jury,  was 
intended  to  include  the  more  common  offences  of  iitting 
out  privateers  within  the  United  States,  to  operate 
against  the  ships  of  nations  with  which  they  were  at 
peace,  and  that  of  smuggling.  Certainly  the  grave 
fathers  of  the  city  would  not  speak  of  a  crime,  involving 
murder  and  robbery,  in  such  mild  and  measured  terms, 
as  one  "calculated  to  impair  public  confidence,  and 
injure  public  credit,  to  defraud  the  fair  dealer,  to  drain 


LAFITTE,    "  T1IK   PIRATE."  39 

the  country  of  specie,  and  to  cormpt  the  morals  of  the 
people."  Such  language,  applied  td  the  enormous  crime 
of  piracy,  would  appear  quite  inappropriate,  not  to  say 
ridiculous.  It  is  evident  from  this,  as  well  as  other 
proofs,  that  the  respectable  citizens,  several  of  whom 
now  survive,  who  made  this  report,  had  in  view  the 
denunciation  of  the  offence  of  smuggling  into  New 
Orleans,  goods  captured  on  the  high  seas,  by  privateers, 
which,  no  doubt,  seriously  interfered  with  legitimate 
trade,  and  drew  off  a  large  amount  of  specie. 

However,  indictments  for  piracy  were  found  against 
several  of  the  Baratarians.  One  against  Johnness,  for 
piracy  on  the  Santa,  a  Spanish  vessel,  which  was  cap- 
tured nine  miles  from  Grand  Isle,  and  nine  thousand 
dollars  taken  from  her ;  also,  against  another,  who  went 
by  the  name  of  Johannot,  for  capturing  another  Spanish 
vessel  with  her  cargo,  worth  thirty  thousand  dollars,  off 
Trinidad.  Pierre  Lafitte  was  charged  as  aider  and 
abettor  in  these  crimes  before  and  after  the  fact,  as  one 
who  did,  "  upon  land,  to  wit :  in  the  city  of  New 
Orleans,  within  the  District  of  Louisiana,  knowingly 
and  willingly  aid,  assist,  procure,  counsel  and  advise  the 
said  piracies  and  robberies."  It  is  quite  evident  from 
the  character  of  the  ships  captured,  that  had  the  indict- 
ments been  prosecuted  to  a  trial,  they  would  have 
resulted  in  modifying  the  crime  of  piracy  into  the 
offence  of  privateering,  or  that  of  violating  the  Neu- 
trality Laws  of  the  United  States,  by -bringing  prizes 
taken  from  Spain  into  its  territory  and  selling  the  same. 

Pierre  Latitte  was  arrested  on  these  indictments.  An 
application  for  bail  was  refused,  and  he  was  incarcerated 
in  the  Calaboose,  or  city  prison,  now  occupied  by  the 
Sixth  District  Court  of  New  Orleans. 


40  JACKSON    AND    NEW     ORLEANS. 

These  transactions,  betokening  a  vigorous  determina- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  authorities,  to  break  up  the  es- 
tablishment at  Barataria,  Jean  Lafitte  proceeded  to  that 
place  and  was  engaged  in  collecting  the  vessels  and 
property  of  the  association,  with  a  view  of  departing  to 
some  more  secure  retreat,  when  an  event  occurred,  which 
he  thought  would  afford  him  an  opportunity  of  propiti- 
ating the  favor  of  the  government,  and  securing  for 
himself  and  his  companions  a  pardon  for  their  offences. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  second  of  September, 
1814,  that  the  settlement  of  Barataria  was  aroused  by 
the  report  of  cannon  in  the  direction  of  the  gulf.  Lafitte 
immediately  ordered  out  a  small  boat,  in  which,  rowed 
by  four  of  his  men,  he  proceeded  toward  the  mouth  of 
the  strait.  Here  he  perceived  a  brig  of  war,  lying  just 
outside  of  the  inlet,  with  the  British  colors  flying  at  the 
mast-head.  As  soon  as  Lafitte's  boat  was  perceived, 
the  gig  of  the  brig  shot  off  from  her  side  and  approached 
him. 

In  this  gig  were  three  officers,  clad  in  naval  uniform, 
and  one  in  the  scarlet  of  the  British  army.  They  bore 
a  white  signal  in  the  bows,  and  a  British  flag  in  the 
stern  of  their  boat.  The  officers  proved  to  be  Captain 
Lockyer,  of  his  Majesty's  navy,  with  a  Lieutenant  of  the 
same  service,  and  Captain  Me  Williams,  of  the  army. 
On  approaching  the  boat  of  the  Baratarians,  Captain 
Lockyer  called  out  his  name  and  style,  and  inquired  if 
Mr.  Lafitte  was  at  home  in  the  bay,  as  he  had  an  im- 
portant communication  for  him.  Lafitte  replied,  that 
the  person  they  desired  could  be  seen  ashore,  and  invited 
the  officers  to  accompany  him  to  their  settlement.  They 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  the  boats  were  rowed 
through  the  strait  into  the  Bay  of  Barataria.  On  their 


LAFTTTE,    "THE   PIRATE."  4rl 

way  Latitte  confessed  his  true  name  and  character ; 
whereupon  Captain  Lockyer  delivered  to  him  a  paper 
package.  Latitte  enjoined  upon  the  British  officers  to 
conceal  the  true  object  of  their  visit  from  his  men,  who 
might,  if  they  suspected  their  design,  attempt  some 
violence  against  them.  Despite  these  cautions,  the 
Baratarians,  on  recognizing  the  uniform  of  the  strangers, 
collected  on  the  shore  in  a  tumultuous  and  threatening 
manner,  and  clamored  loudly  for  their  arrest.  It 
required  all  Lafitte's  art,  address,  and  influence  to  calm 
them.  Finally,  however,  he  succeeded  in  conducting 
the  British  to  his  apartments,  where  they  were  enter- 
tained in  a  style  of  elegant  hospitality,  which  greatly 
surprised  them. 

The  best  wines  of  old  Spain,  the  richest  fruits  of  the 
West  Indies,  and  every  variety  of  fish  and  game  were 
spread  out  before  them,  and  served  on  the  richest  carved 
silver  plate.  The  aifable  manner  of  Latitte  gave  great 
zest  to  the  enjoyment  of  his  guests.  After  the  repast, 
and  when  they  had  all  smoked  cigars  of  the  finest  Cuban 
flavor,  Lafitte  requested  his  guests  to  proceed  to  business. 
The  package  directed  to  "  Mr.  Lafitte,"  was  then  opened 
and  the  contents  read.  They  consisted  of  a  proclama- 
tion, addressed  by  Colonel  Edward  Nichols,  in  the 
service  of  his  Britannic  Majesty,  and  commander  of  the 
land  forces  on  the  coast  of  Florida,  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Louisiana,  dated,  Headquarters,  Pensacola,  29th  August, 
1814;  also  a  letter  from  the  same,  directed  to  Mr. 
Lafitte,  as  the  commander  at  Barataria ;  also  a  letter 
from  the  Hon.  Sir  W.  H.  Percy,  captain  of  the  sloop  of 
war  Hermes,  and  commander  of  the  Naval  Forces  in  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  dated  September  1,  1814,  to  Lafitte  ; 
and  one  from  the  same  captain  Percy,  written  on  30th 


42  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

August,  on  the  Hermes,  in  the  Bay  of  Pensacola,  to 
Captain  Lockyer  of  the  Sophia,  directing  him  to  pro- 
ceed to  Barataria,  and  attend  to  certain  affairs  there, 
which  are  fully  explained. 

The  originals  of  these  letters  may  now  be  seen  in  the 
records  of  the  United  States  District  Court  in  New 
Orleans,  where  they  were  filed  by  Lafitte.  They  con- 
tain the  most  flattering  offers  to  Lafitte,  on  the  part  of 
the  British  officials,  if  he  would  aid  them,  with  his 
vessels  and  men,  in  their  contemplated  invasion  of  the 
State  of  Louisiana.  Captain  Lockyer  proceeded  to 
enforce  the  offers  by  many  plausible  and  cogent  argu- 
ments. He  stated  that  Lafitte,  his  vessels  and  men 
would  be  enlisted  in  the  honorable  service  of  the  British 
Navy,  that  he  would  receive  the  rank  of  Captain  (an 
offer  which  must  have  brought  a  smile  to  the  face  of 
the  unnautical  blacksmith  of  St.  Philip  street),  and  the 
sum  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  :  that  being  a  Frenchman, 
proscribed  and  persecuted  by  the  United  States,  with  a 
brother  then  in  prison,  he  should  unite  with  the  English, 
as  the  English  and  French  were  now  fast  friends  ;  that 
a  splendid  prospect  was  now  opened  to  him  in  the 
British  navy,  as  from  his  knowledge  of  the  Gulf  Coast, 
he  could  guide  them  in  their  expedition  to  New  Orleans, 
which  had  already  started  ;  that  it  was  the  purpose  of 
the  English  Government  to  penetrate  the  upper  country 
and  act  in  concert  with  the  forces  in  Canada ;  that 
everything  was  prepared  to  carry  on  the  war  with 
unusual  vigor ;  that  they  were  sure  of  success,  expecting 
to  find  little  or  no  opposition  from  the  French  and  Span- 
ish population  of  Louisiana,  whose  interests  and  manners 
were  opposed  and  hostile  to  those  of  the  Americans ; 
and,  finally,  it  was  declared  by  Captain  Lockyer  to  be 


LAFITTE,  "THE  PIBATJE."  43 

the  purpose  of  the  British  to  free  the  slaves,  and  arm 
them  against  the  white  people,  who  resisted  their 
authority  and  progress. 

Lafitte,  affecting  an  acquiescence  in  these  propositions, 
begged  to  be  permitted  to  go  to  one  of  the  vessels  lying 
out  in  the  bay  to  consult  an  old  friend  and  associate,  in 
whose  judgment  he  had  great  confidence.  "Whilst  he 
was  absent,  the  men  who  had  watched  suspiciously  the 
conference,  many  of  whom  were  Americans,  and  not 
the  less  patriotic  because  they  had  a  taste  for  privateer- 
ing, proceeded  to  arrest  the  British  officers,  threatening 
to  kill  or  deliver  them  up  to  the  Americans.  In  the 
midst  of  this  clamor  and  violence,  Lafitte  returned  and 
immediately  quieted  his  men,  by  reminding  them  of 
the  laws  of  honor  and  humanity,  which  forbade  any 
violence  to  persons  who  come  among  them  witli  a  flag 
of  truce.  He  assured  them  that  their  honor  and  rights 
would  be  safe  and  sacred  in  his  charge.  He  then 
escorted  the  British  to  their  boats,  and  after  declaring 
to  Captain  Lockyer,  that  he  only  required  a  few  days  to 
consider  the  flattering  proposals,  and  would  be  ready  at 
a  certain  time  to  deliver  his  final  reply,  took  a  respect- 
ful leave  of  his  guests,  and  escorting  them  to  their  boat, 
kept  them  in  view  until  they  were  out  of  reach  of  the 
men  on  shore. 

Immediately  after  the  departure  of  the  British,  Lafitte 
sat  down  and  addressed  a  long  letter  to  Mr.  Blanque,  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  Louisiana, 
which  he  commenced  by  declaring  that  "though  pro- 
scribed in  my  adopted  country,  I  will  never  miss  an 
occasion  of  serving  her,  or  of  proving  that  she  has  never 
ceased  to  be  dear  to  me."  He  then  details  the  circum- 
stances of  Captain  Lockyer's  arrival  in  his  camp,  and 


44  .       JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS 

encloses  the  letters  to  him.  He  then  proceeds  to  say : 
"I  may  have  evaded  the  payment  of  duties  to  the 
Customhouse,  but  I  have  never  ceased  to  be  a  good 
citizen,  and  all  the  offences  I  have  committed  have  been 
forced  upon  me  by  certain  vices  in  the  laws."  He  then 
expresses  the  hope  that  the  service  he  is  enabled  to 
render  the  authorities,  by  delivering  the  enclosed  letters, 
"  may  obtain  some  amelioration  of  the  situation  of  an 
unhappy  brother,"  adding  with  considerable  force  and 
feeling,  "  our  enemies  have  endeavored  to  work  upon 
me,  by  a  motive  which  few  men  would  have  resisted. 
They  represented  to  me  a  brother  in  irons,  a  brother 
who  is  to  me  very  dear,  whose  deliverer  I  might  become, 
and  I  declined  the  proposal,  well  persuaded  of  his  inno- 
cence. I  am  free  from  apprehension  as  to  the  issue  of 
a  trial,  but  he  is  sick,  and  not  in  a  place  where  he  can 
receive  the  assistance  he  requires."  Through  Mr. 
Blanque,  Lafitte  addressed  a  letter  to  Governor 
Claiborne,  in  which  he  stated  very  distinctly  his  posi 
tion  and  desires.  He  says  : 

"  I  offer  to  you  to  restore  to  this  State  several  citizens,  who, 
perhaps,  in  your  eyes,  have  lost  that  sacred  title;  I  offer  you  them, 
however,  such  as  you  could  wish  to  find  them,  ready  to  exert  their 
utmost  efforts  in  defence  of  the  country.  This  point  of  Louisiana 
which  I  occupy  is  of  great  importance  in  the  present  crisis.  I 
tender  my  services  to  defend  it,  and  the  only  reward  I  ask  is,  that 
a  stop  be  put  to  the  prosecutions  against  me  and  my  adherents,  by 
an  act  of  oblivion  for  all  that  has  been  done  hitherto.  I  ara  the 
stray  sheep  wishing  to  return  to  the  sheepfold.  If  you  are 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  my  offence?,  I  should 
appear  to  you  much  less  guilty,  and  still  worthy  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  a  good  citizen.  I  have  never  sailed  under  any  flag  but 
that  of  the  Republic  of  Carthagena,  and  my  vessels  are  perfectly 
regular  in  that  respect.  If  I  could  have  brought  my  lawful  prizes 


*     LAFITTE,  "TUB:  PIRATE."  45 

into  the  ports  of  this  State,  I  should  not  have  employed  the  illicit 
means  that  have  caused  ine  to  be  proscribed.  Should  your  answer 
not  be  favorable  to  my  ardent  desires,  I  declare  to  you  that  I  will 
instantly  leave  the  country  to  avoid  the  imputation  of  having  co- 
operated towards  an  invasion  on  that  point.,  which  cannot  fail  to 
take  place,  and  to  rest  secure  in  the  acquittal  of  my  own  conscience." 

Upon  the  receipt  of  these  letters,  Governor  Claiborne 
convoked  a  council  of  the  principal  officers  of  the  arm y, 
navy  and  militia,  then  in  New  Orleans,  to  whom  he 
submitted  the  letters,  asking  their  decision  on  these  two 
questions  :  1st.  Whether  the  letters  were  genuine  ?  2d. 
Whether  it  was  proper  that  the  Governor  should  hold 
intercourse  or  enter  into  any  correspondence  with  Mr. 
Lafitte  and  his  associates  ?  To  each  of  these  questions 
a  negative  answer  was  given,  Major  General  Villere 
alone  dissenting — this  officer  being  (as  well  as  the  Gov- 
ernor, who,  presiding  in  the  council,  could  not  give  his 
opinion),  not  only  satisfied  as  to  the  authenticity  of  the 
letters  of  the  British  officers,  but  believing  that  the 
Baratarians  might  be  employed  in  a  very  effective  man- 
ner in  case  of  an  invasion. 

The  only  result  of  this  council  was  to  hasten  the  steps 
which  had  been  previously  commenced,  to  fit  out  an 
expedition  to  Barataria  to  break  up  Lafitte's  establish- 
ment. In  the  meantime,  the  two  weeks  asked  for  by 
Lafitte  to  consider  the  British  proposal,  having  expired, 
Captain  Lockyer  appeared  off  Grand  Terre,  and  hovered 
around  the  inlet  several  days,  anxiously  awaiting  the 
approach  of  Lafitte.  At  last,  his  patience  being 
exhausted,  and  mistrusting  the  intentions  of  the  Barata- 
rians, he  retired.  It  was  about  this  time  that  the  spirit 
of  Lafitte  was  sorely  tried  by  the  intelligence,  that  the 
constituted  authorities,  whom  he  had  supplied  with  such 


4:6  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

valuable  information,  instead  of  appreciating  his  gener- 
ous exertions  in  behalf 'of  his  country,  were  actually 
equipping  an  expedition  to  destroy  his  establishment. 
This  was  truly  an  ungrateful  return  for  services,  which 
may  now  be  justly  estimated.  Nor  is  it  satisfactorily 
shown  that  mercenary  motives  did  not  mingle  with  those 
which  prompted  some  of  the  parties  engaged  in  this 
expedition. 

The  rich  plunder  of  the  "  Pirate's  Retreat,"  the  valu- 
able fleet  of  small  coasting  vessels  that  rode  in  the  Bay 
of  Barataria,  the  exaggerated  stories  of  a  vast  amount 
of  treasure,  heaped  up  in  glittering  piles,  in  dark,  mys- 
terious caves,  of  chests  of  Spanish  doubloons,  buried  in 
the  sand,  contributed  to  inflame  the  imagination  and 
avarice  of  some  of  the  individuals  who  were  active  in 
getting  up  this  expedition. 

A  naval  and  land  force  was  organized  under  Commo- 
dore Patterson  and  Colonel  Ross,  which  proceeded  to 
Barataria,  and  with  a  pompous  display  of  military 
power,  entered  the  Bay.  The  Baratarians  at  first  thought 
of  resisting  with  all  their  means,  which  were  considera- 
ble. They  collected  on  the  beach  armed,  their  cannon 
were  placed  in  position,  and  matches  were  lighted,  when 
lo  !  to  their  amazement  and  dismay,  the  stars  and  stripes 
became  visible  through  the  mist. 

Against  the  power  which  that  banner  proclaimed, 
they  were  unwilling  to  lift  their  hands.  They  then  sur- 
rendered, a  few  escaping  up  the  Bayou  in  small  boats. 
Lafitte,  conformably  to  his  pledge,  on  hearing  of  tho 
expedition,  had  gone  to  the  German  coast — as  it  is  called 
— above  New  Orleans.  Commodore  Patterson  seized 
all  the  vessels  of  the'  Baratarians,  and,  filling  them  and 
his  own  with  the  rich  goods  found  on  the  island,  returned 


LAFTTTE,  "THE  PIRATE."  47 

to  New  Orleans  loaded  with  spoils.  The  Baratarians, 
who  were  captured,  were  ironed  and  committed  to  the 
Calaboose.  The  vessels,  money  and  stores  taken  in  this 
expedition  were  claimed  as  lawful  prizes  by  Commodore 
Patterson  and  Colonel  Koss.  Out  of  this  claim  grew  a 
protracted  suit,  which  elicited  the  foregoing  facts,  and 
resulted  in  establishing  the  innocence  of  Lafitte  of  all 
other  offences  but  those  of  privateering,  or  employing 
persons  to  privateer  against  the  commerce  of  Spain 
under  commissions  from  the  Republic  of  Columbia,  and 
bringing  his  prizes  to  the  United  States,  to  be  disposed 
of,  contrary  to  the  provisions  of  the  Neutrality  Act. 

The  charge  of  piracy  against  Lafitte,  or  even  against 
the  men  of  the  association,  of  which  he  was  the  chief, 
remains  to  this  day  unsupported  by  a  single  particle  of 
direct  and  positive  testimony.  All  that  was  ever 
adduced  against  them,  of  a  circumstantial  or  inferential 
character,  was  the  discovery  among  the  goods  taken  at 
Barataria,  of  some  jewelry,  which  was  identified  as  that 
of  a  Creole  lady,  who  had  sailed  from  New  Orleans 
seven  years  before,  and  was  never  heard  of  afterwards. 

Considering  the  many  ways  in  which  such  property 
might  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Baratarians,  it 
would  not  be  just  to  rest  so  serious  a  charge  against 
them  on  this  single  fact.  It  is  not  at  all  improbable — 
though  no  facts  of  that  character  ever  came  to  light — • 
that  among1  so  many  desperate  characters  attached  to 
the  Baratarian  organization,  there  were  not  a  few  who 
would,  if  the  temptation  were  presented,  "  scuttle  ship, 
or  cut  a  throat"  to  advance  their  ends,  increase  their 
gains,  or  gratify  a  tiatural  bloodthirstiness. 

But  such  deeds  cannot  be  associated  with  the  name 
of  Jean  Lafitte,  save  in  the  idle  fictions  by  which  the 


48  JACKSON    AND    NEW     ORLEANS. 

taste  of  the  youth  of  the  country  is  vitiated,  and  history 
outraged  and  perverted.  That  he  was  more  of  a  patriot 
than  a  pirate,  that  he  rendered  services  of  immense 
benefit  to  his  adopted  country,  and  should  be  held  in 
respect  and  honor,  rather  than  defamed  and  calumniated, 
will,  we  think,  abundantly  appear  in  the  chapter  which 
follows. 


LAFOTE,   THE    PATRIOT.  49 


ni. 

LAFTTTE,    THE   PATKIOT. 

THOUGH  repudiated  arid  persecuted  by  the  authorities 
of  the  State  and  Federal  Government,  Jean  Lafitte  did 
not  cease  to  perform  his  duties  as  a  citizen,  and  to  warn 
the  people  of  the  approaching  invasion.  The  people, 
as  is  often  the  case,  were  more  sagacious  on  this  occasion 
than  their  chief  officials.  They  confided  in  the  repre- 
sentations of  Lafitte,  and  in  the  authenticity  of  the  docu- 
ments forwarded  by  him  to  Gov.  Claiborne.  One  of 
the  first  manifestations  of  these  feelings  was  the  convo- 
cation of  an  assembly  of  the  people  at  the  City  Exchange, 
on  St.  Louis  street.  This  was  after  the  tenor  of  Lafitte's 
documents  and  the  character  of  his  developments  had 
become  known,  to  wit :  on  the  16th  of  December,  1814. 
This  assembly  was  numerous  and  enthusiastic.  It  was 
eloquently  addressed  by  Edward  Livingston,  who,  in 
manly  and  earnest  tones,  and  with  telling  appeals,  urged 
the  citizens  to  organize  for  the  defence  of  their  city,  and 
thus,  in  a  conspicuous  manner,  refute  the  calumnies 
which  had  been  circulated  against  their  fidelity  to  the 
new  Republic,  of  which  they  had  so  recently  become 
"  part  and  parcel." 

These  appeals  met  a  warm  response  from  the  people. 

3 


50  JAOKS01J     AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

Nor  did  the  enthusiasm  which  they  excited  vent  itself 
in  mere  applause  and  noisy  demonstrations.  They  pro- 
duced practical  results.  A  Committee  of  Public  Safety 
was  formed,  to  aid  the  authorities  in  the  defence  of  the 
city  and  supply  those  deficiencies  which  the  exigency 
should  develop,  in  the  organization  of  the  Government, 
as  well  as  in  the  characters  of  those  charged  with  its 
administration.  This  committee  was  composed  of  the 
following  citizens :  Edward  Livingston,  Pierre  Foucher, 
Dussau  de  la  Croix,  Benjamin  Morgan,  George  Ogden, 
Dominique  Bouligny,  J.  A.  Destrehan,  John  Blanque, 
and  Augustin  Macarte.  They  were  all  men  of  note  and 
influence. 

The  leading  spirit  of  the  committee  was  Edward  Liv- 
ingston, a  native  of  New  York,  and  once  Mayor  of  that 
great  city.  He  had  emigrated  to  New  Orleans  shortly 
after  the  cession  and  organization  of  the  territory.  Of 
profound  learning,  various  attainments,  great  sagacity 
and  industry,  possessing  a  style  of  earnest  eloquence 
and  admirable  force,  which  even  now  render  the  pro- 
ductions of  his  pen  the  most  readable  of  the  effusions 
of  any  of  the  public  men,  who  have  figured  largely  in 
political  or  professional  spheres  in  the  United  States, 
Edward  Livingston  could  not  but  be  a  leading  man  in 
any  community. 

The  talents  which  many  years  afterwards  adorned 
some  of  the  highest  offices  under  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment, and  reflected  so  much  distinction  on  Louisiana  in 
the  United  States  Senate,  were  eminently  conspicuous 
and  serviceable  in  rallying  the  spirits,  and  giving  con- 
fidence and  harmony"  of  action  to  the  people  of  New 
Orleans,  during  the  eventful  epoch  to  which  these 
sketches  relate.  He  was  ably  supported  by  his  associ- 


LAFTTTE,   THE    PATRIOT.  51 

ates.  Destrehan  was  a  native  of  France,  a  man  of 
science,  resolution  and  intelligence,  though  somewhat 
eccentric.  Benjamin  Morgan  was  one  of  the  first  and 
most  popular  of  the  class  of  American  merchants,  then 
composing  a  rising  party  in  New  Orleans.  P.  Toucher 
was  a  Creole  of  Louisiana,  of  great  ardor  and  activity 
in  the  defence  of  his  natal  soil.  Dussau  de  la  Croix, 
was  a  Frenchman  of  the  ancien  regime,  an  exile,  who 
found  in  Louisiana  the  only  sovereignty  and  the  only 
soil  which  he  deemed  worth  fighting  for.  A.  Macarte 
was  a  planter  of  spirit,  patriotism  and  energy.  George 
M.  Ogden  was  a  leader  of  the  Young  America  of  that 
day,  and  possessed  great  zeal,  activity,  and  influence 
among  the  new  population.  John  Blanqne  was  an 
intelligent,  industrious  and  prominent  member  of  the 
State  Legislature.  Dominique  Bouligny  represented 
the  old  Spanish  and  French  colonists,  who  in  turn  had 
possessed  Louisiana,  his  family  being  one  of  the  oldest 
in  the  State.  He  was  a  staid,  solid  and  true  man,  who 
afterwards  tilled  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and 
held  other  offices  of  dignity  and  trust  in  the  State. 

Such  was  the  composition  of  the  Committee  of  Public 
Safety  in  New  Orleans.  The  first  act  of  the  commitee 
was  to  send  forth  an  address  to  the  people.  This  docu- 
ment bears  unmistakably  the  imprint  of  Edward 
Livingston's  genius.  It  is  a  fervid  and  thrilling  appeal, 
which  produced,  wherever  it  was  read  among  the 
excitable  population  of  Louisiana,  the  effect  of  a  trum- 
pet blast,  rallying  the  people  to  the  defence  "  of  their 
sovereignty,  their  property,  their  lives,  and  the  dearer 
existence  of  their  wives  and  children." 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  highly  important 
movement  and  effective  address  were  induced  by  the 


52  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

information  supplied  by  Lafitte.  Edward  Livingston, 
the  chief  in  the  movement,  had  been  the  confidential 
adviser  and  counsellor  of  Lafitte  since  1811.  His  inter- 
course with  that  much  maligned  individual  had  dispelled 
all  doubts  as  to  his  honorable  purposes.  The  date  of  the 
address,  being  about  the  time  of  Lafitte's  retirement 
from  Barataria,  and  the  absence  of  other  information  of 
the  designs  of  the  British,  whose  army  had  not  then  left 
the  Chesapeake  and  England,  all  tend  to  the  conclusion 
that  Lafitte's  representations  aroused  the  people  to  take 
the  defence  of  the  city  into  their  own  hands.  But  the 
value  of  Lafitte's  intelligence  did  not  end  here.  Clai- 
borue,  persevering  in  his  reliance  in  the  verity  of  the 
documents  dispatched  to  him  by  Lafitte,  sent  copies  of 
them  to  General  Jackson,  who  was  theu  stationed  at 
Mobile,  watching  the  movements  of  the  Spanish  and 
British  at  Pensacola. 

The  perusal  of  these  letters,  under  the  popular  impres- 
sion as  to  the  character  of  the  parties  from  which  they 
were  obtained,  drew  from  the  stern  and  ardent  Jackson 
a  fiery  proclamation,  in  which  he  indignantly  denounced 
the  British,  for  their  perfidy  and  baseness,  and  appealed 
in  fervid  language  to  all  Louisianians,  to  repel  "  the 
calumnies  which  that  vain-glorious  boaster,  Colonel 
Nichols,  had  proclaimed  in  his  insiduous  address."  The 
calumnies  referred  to  were  the  assertions  that  the  Creoles 
were  crushed  and  oppressed  by  the  Yankees  and  that 
they  would  be  restored  to  their  rightful  dominion  by  the 
British.  Herein  we  may  observe  the  germ  of  that  feel- 
ing which  led  even  Jackson  into  some  errors,  and  the 
British  into  the  most  ridiculous  delusions.  It  was  the 
apprehension  or  doubt  as  to  the  fidelity  and  ardor  of  the 
French  settlers  and  Creoles  of  Louisiana,  in  the  defence 


LAFITTE,    THE    PATRIOT.  53 

of  the  State.  Subsequent  events  will  show,  despite  the 
grossest  misrepresentations  of  ignorant  or  designing 
persons,  that  in  no  part  of  the  United  States  did  there 
exist  greater  hostility  to  the  British,  or  a  more  earnest 
determination  to  resist  their  approach  to  the  city,  than 
among  the  descendants  of  that  race,  which  had  been 
from  time  immemorial  England's  national,  if  not  natural 
enemy. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  whilst  making  use  of  the  infor- 
mation furnished  by  Lafitte,  General  Jackson  indulges 
in  the  strongest  language  of  denunciation  of  the  "  Pirates 
of  Barataria,"  styling  them  "  a  hellish  banditti."  It 
would  not  be  consistent  with  the  acknowledged  gener- 
osity and  manly  frankness  of  Jackson,  as  well  as  with 
subsequent  events,  to  suppose  that  he  knew  at  the  time 
this  language  was  used,  how  great  a  debt  was  due  to 
the  chief  of  that  "  hellish  banditti,"  for  the  very  infor- 
mation upon  which  his  energetic  measures  were  based. 
Though  severe  and  violent  against  evil  doers,  and  espe- 
cially against  those  who  were  implicated  in  transactions 
having  the  aspect  of  cruelty,  of  lawless  violence  and 
oppression,  Jackson  was  at  the  same  time  remarkable 
for  that  prompt  magnanimity  which  would  extend  justice, 
protection  and  even  generous  forbearance  to  all  brave 
and  sincere,  but  guilty  and  erring  men. 

A  striking  example  of  these  qualities  of  Jackson, 
which  was  given  but  a  few  months  before  the  occur- 
rences we  are  describing,  and  is  connected  with  events 
that  belong  to  this  history,  may  not  be  inappropriately 
introduced  in  this  place. 

After  the  disastrous  battle  of  the  Horse-Shoe,  the 
broken-spirited  chiefs  of  the  Red  Sticks,  who  had  been 
dispersed  over  the  country,  crept  singly,  or  in  small 


5i  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

squads,  into  Jackson's  headquarters,  at  Fort  Jackson, 
humbly  suing  for  his  pardon  and  protection.  The  last 
to  stoop  to  this  degradation,  was  the  famous  half-breed 
chief,  William  Weatherford,  familiarly  known  as  "Bloody 
Bill."  This  chief  was  truely  one  of  Nature's  noblemen. 
Though  uneducated,  he  possessed  an  excellent  native 
intellect,  great  magnanimity  of  soul,  clouded  but  not 
obscured  by  his  savage  education  and  habits.  He 
moved  with  a  dignified,  graceful,  and  courtly  bearing, 
not  only  in  his  favorite  home,  the  forest,  but  even  among 
the  haunts  and  in  the  circles  of  the  white  man.  His 
eyes  were  large,  dark,  and  piercing.  His  proportions 
were  symmetrical  yet  powerful,  sinewy,  and  agile.  He 
possessed  those  virtues  which  would  have  adorned  a 
knight  in  the  days  of  chivalry,  bravery,  generosity,  truth 
and  honor.  His  vices  were  those  of  his  race,  vindictive 
ferocity,  unsparing  and  undying  hate  of  the  whites. 

"Weatherford  led  a  thousand  warriors  against  Fort 
Mimms  in  the  summer  of  1813.  Falling  upon  the 
garrison,  he  took  it  by  surprise,  and  after  a  gallant 
resistance  slew  the  whole  party,  consisting  of  several 
families  and  a  military  force.  It  was  this  event  which 
had  drawn  Jackson  from  his  civil  pursuits,  into  his  first 
Indian  campaign.  The  descriptions  of  that  bloody 
massacre  greatly  excited  his  ardent  and  sympathetic 
nature,  and  no  doubt  gave  vigor  and  determination  to 
the  measures  employed  by  him  to  punish  such  atrocities. 

After  several  fights,  in  which  he  displayed  his  usual 
courage  and  address,  Weatherford  encountered  a  strong 
force  under  General  Claiborne,  at  another  "  Holy 
Ground"  of  the  Indians,  on  the  Alabama  River,  where  a 
fierce  and  protracted  conflict  ensued.  Fighting  to  the 
last,  Weatherford  discovered  that  his  men  had  deserted 


LAFTTTE,   THE    PATRIOT.  55 

Him,  and  were  passing  over  in  the  boats  to  the  other 
side  of  the  river,  leaving  him  alone  amid  his  enemies. 
As  soon  as  he  perceived  his  situation,  he  put  spurs  to  a 
splendid  grey  charger  of  unsurpassed  activity  and  fleet- 
ness,  which  he  always  rode  in  battle,  and  coursing  along 
the  bank  of  the  Alabama,  came  to  a  ravine,  where  there 
was  a  perpendicular  bluff,  ten  or  fifteen  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  river.  Over  this,  with  a  mighty  bound, 
leaped  the  dauntless  chief,  and  both  rider  and  charger 
sunk  out  of  sight  beneath  the  waves.  Soon,  however, 
they  rose  again,  the  chief  grasping  the  mane  of  his  horse 
with  his  left  hand  and  firmly  holding  his  rifle  in  his 
right.  Swimming  boldly  forward,  he  gained  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  river,  and  shouting  a  loud  defiance  at  his 
foes,  plunged  into  the  forest  and  disappeared.  This  feat 
has  given  name  to  the  bluff  where  it  was  performed,  and 
ever  since  it  has  been  known  throughout  Alabama,  as 
Weatherford's  Leap." 

Deserted  by  his  men,  alone,  amid  the  solitudes  of 
nature,  AVeatherford  roamed  the  forest  unsubdued  and 
undaunted.  Hearing  that  General  Jackson  had  offered 
a  large  reward  for  his  capture,  and  that  many,  even  of 
his  old  followers,  were  on  his  track,  he  resolved  to  go  in 
person  and  surrender  himself  to  Jackson,  and  thus 
thwart  the  treacherous  designs  of  the  recreant  of  his 
own  race.  Mounting  the  noble  charger  that  had  borne 
him  over  the  bluff  at  the  Iloly  Ground,  he  rode  within 
a  few  miles  of  Fort  Jackson,  when,  a  fine  deer  crossing 
his  path,  and  stopping  within  rifle  distance,  he  fired  at 
and  killed  it.  Reloading  his  rifle  with  two  balls,  for  the 
purpose  of  shooting  "  Big  Warrior,"  a  renegade  of  his 
own  tribe,  then  in  Jackson's  camp,  should  he  offer  him 
any  insult,  he  threw  the  deer  across  his  horse's 


56  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

shoulders,  and  advanced  to  the  American  outposts, 
Some  soldiers,  of  whom  he  politely  inquired  for  Jack- 
son's whereabouts,  gave  him  unsatisfactory  and  rude 
replies,  which  sorely  tried  the  temper  of  the  fiery  chief, 
when  a  grey-headed  man,  pointing  him  to  the  General's 
marquee,  Weatherford  contemptuously  turned  his  back 
upon  his  revilers,  and  rode  up  to  the  tent,  where,  sud- 
denly checking  his  horse,  he  discovered  the  treacherous 
Big  Warrior  standing  before  him.  "  Ah  !  Bill  Weather- 
ford,"  exclaimed  Big  Warrior,  "have  we  got  you  at 
last."  The  fearless  chief  cast  a  glance  of  ineffable  scorn 
at  the  renegade,  who  shrank  under  his  keen  glance,  and 
exclaimed  in  a  determined  voice,  "You  base  traitor,  if 
you  give  me  any  impudence  I  will  blow  a  bullet  through 
your  cowardly  heart." 

General  Jackson,  hearing  the  altercation  and  the 
name  of  Weatherford,  rushed  out  of  his  tent,  and  in  a 
furious  and  threatening  manner  cried  out,  "  How  dare 
you,  sir,  ride  up  to  my  tent  after  having  murdered  the 
women  and  children  at  Fort  Mimms  ?"  Assuming  an 
attitude  of  fearless  defiance,  folding  his  arms  with  the 
resignation  of  a  hero,  Weatherford  replied,  "General 
Jackson,  I  am  not  afraid  of  you.  I  fear  no  man,  for  1 
am  a  Creek  warrior.  I  have  nothing  to  ask  for  myself. 
You  can  kill  me  if  you  desire.  But  I  came  to  beg  you 
to  send  for  the  women  and  children  of  the  war  party, 
who  are  starving  in  the  woods.  Their  fields  and  cribs 
have  been  destroyed  by  your  people,  who  have  driven 
them  to  the  woods  without  an  ear  of  corn.  I  hope  you 
will  send  parties  to  relieve  them.  I  tried  in  vain  to  pre- 
vent the  massacre  of  the  women  and  children  at  Fort 
Mimms ;  I  am  now  done  fighting.  The  Red  Sticks  are 
nearly  all  killed.  If  I  could  fight  you  any  longer,  I 


LAFITTE,   THE    PATRIOT.  57 

would  most  heartily  do  so.  Send  for  the  women  and 
children ;  they  never  did  you  any  harm  ;  but  kill  me,  if 
the  white  people  want  it." 

At  the  conclusion  of  these  words,  several  persons  of 
the  crowd  that  had  gathered  around  the  chief  exclaimed, 
"  Kill  him,  kill  him !"  Gen.  Jackson  commanded 
silence,  and  in  an  emphatic  manner  said,  "  Any  one 
who  would  kill  as  brave  a  man  as  this  in  cold  blood, 
would  rob  the  dead  !"  He  then  invited  Weatherford  to 
alight,  drank  with  him  a  glass  of  brandy,  and  entered 
into  cheerful  conversation  with  him  under  the  General's 
marquee.  Weatherford  gave  the  General  the  deer,  and 
they  were  ever  afterwards  good  friends. 

The  magnanimity  thus  displayed  to  the  chief,  in  one 
of  the  bloodiest  Indian  massacres  recorded  in  our 
annals,  would  have  revolted  at  the  application  of  terms, 
"hellish  banditti,"  to  men,  whose  leader  had,  at  such 
great  sacrifices  of  personal  advancement  and  interest 
supplied  the  information  of  the  designs  of  the  British 
against  New  Orleans,  furnishing  the  key  by  which 
Jackson  was  enabled  to  arrange  and  prepare  his  unpar- 
alleled and  glorious  defence.  Much  more  satisfactory  ia 
the  conclusion,  that  Jackson  was  kept  in  ignorance  of 
the  means  by  which  this  intelligence  was  obtained,  and 
knew  only  the  fact,  that  propositions  had  been  made 
by  the  British  to  the  Baratarians,  whom  vulgar  and 
prevalent  report  characterized  as  savage  and  blood- 
thirsty pirates. 

Thus  conspicuous  and  valuable  were  the  services 
which  Jean  Lafitte  rendered  to  the  State  of  Louisiana. 

The  long  agony  was  now  over.  The  suspense  and 
doubt  which  had  agitated  the  whole  country,  were,  for 
the  first  time,  dissipated.  The  designs  of  the  British 

3* 


58  JACKSON    AND    NEW     ORLEANS. 

were  laid  bare.  Their  vast  preparations  were  now 
understood.  The  point  upon  which  they  were  to  throw 
themselves  with  the  powerful  force  which  was  now 
hurrying  towards  the  West  Indies,  was  clearly  perceived. 
The  deeply-laid  scheme  of  the  British  Cabinet,  by  which 
all  the  disasters  of  the  war  were  to  be  redeemed  in  a 
blaze  of  glory,  was  exposed  to  the  world.  In  the  con- 
fidence that  secresy  had  been  preserved,  the  politicians 
of  Great  Britain,  at  home  and  on  the  Continent,  boldly 
proclaimed  the  conquest  and  occupation  of  New  Orleans 
as  fait  accompli.  "  I  expect  at  this  moment,"  remarked 
Lord  Castlereagh,  at  Paris,  about  the  middle  of  Decem- 
ber, 1814,  "that  most  of  the  large  seaport  towns  of 
America  are  by  this  time  laid  in  ashes ;  that  we  are  in 
possession  of  New  Orleans,  and  have  command  of  all 
the  rivers  of  the  Mississippi  valley  and  the  Lakes,  and 
that  the  Americans  are  now  little  better  than  prisoners 
in  their  own  country." 

It  has  been  asserted  by  British  writers  that  the  secret 
of  the  expedition  transpired  through  the  carelessness 
and  blundering  of  one  of  their  own  naval  officers,  wrho 
communicated  the  tenor  of  his  instructions  to  a  Jew 
trader,  whilst  a  portion  of  the  fleet  lay  off  the  West 
Indies.  This  is  the  English  story — but  it  is  an  error. 
Before  the  fleet  arrived  near  Jamaica,  Lah'tte  had  trans- 
mitted the  documents  already  referred  to,  which  devel- 
oped the  design  of  the  British  on  New  Orleans,  and  led 
to  the  measures  which  were  set  on  foot  for  its  defence. 
Had  Lafitte  assented  to  the  proposals  of  the  British 
authorities,  and  permitted  them  to  occupy  his  port  at 
Barataria,  giving  them  the  use  of  his  fleet  of  small 
vessels,  they  would  have  been  able  to  transport  their 
army  with  rapidity  and  ease  to  the  Mississippi  River,  at 


LAJTTTE,    THE    PATRIOT.  56 

a  point  above  New  Orleans.  Thus  having  the  means  of 
cutting  off  reinforcements  and  supplies  from  the  West, 
the  capture  of  the  city  would  have  been  inevitable.  By 
examining  the  map  of  Louisiana,  it  will  be  seen  that 
there  is  no  easier  access  to  the  city  from  the  Gulf,  than 
through  the  Bay  and  Bayou  of  Barataria,  a  circumstance 
which  has  induced  the  General  Government  to  expend 
so  large  a  sum  on  the  fortifications  at  Grand  Terre,  that 
command  the  entrance  of  the  Bay. 

Let  the  truth  then  be  now  told !  Time  scatters  the 
mist  of  prejudice  and  passion,  and  patient  inquiry  dis- 
sipates the  gaudy  arid  ingenious  web  of  poetry  and 
romance.  .  In  truthful  history  Jean  Lafitte  must  ever 
occupy  a  conspicuous  position  among  the  gallant  spirits 
of  1814  and  1815,  for  the  brilliancy  and  efficiency  of 
the  services  which  he  rendered  his  adopted  country, 
whose  authorities  destroyed  his  fortune,  blasted  his 
prospects,  and  handed  his  name  down  to  posterity  as 
that  of  a  blood-thirsty  corsair  and  outlaw,  the  hero  of 
numerous  fictions,  written  to  inflame  youthful  imagina- 
tions and  satisfy  a  morbid  appetite  for  scenes  of  blood, 
of  murder,  of  reckless  daring,  and  lawless  outrage.  A 
name  which  he  had,  by  such  honorable  self  abnegation, 
hoped  to  redeem  from  all  dishonor,  and  connect  with 
conspicuous  and  patriotic  services,  became  the  favorite 
nom  de  guerre  of  every  desperate  adventurer  and  roving 
corsair  of  the  Gulf. 

Less  cruel  was  that  terrific  Norther  which,  a  few 
years  after  the  events  we  have  described,  when  misfor- 
tune had  crushed  his  spirit,  bowed  his  manly  form, 
dimned  the  lustre  of  that  eye,  that  once  possessed  such 
power  "  to  threaten  or  command,"  and  sprinkled  with 
premature  snows  those  raven  locks  that  once  gave  so 


60  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

mucJti  effect  to  his  handsome  face — more  merciful, 
indeed,  was  that  resistless  hurricane  which,  sweeping 
over  the  Gulf  in  the  fall  of  1817,  struck  the  little 
schooner,  laden  with  all  that  remained  of  the  once 
princely  fortune  of  Jean  Lafitte,  which  he  was  bearing 
to  some  distant  land,  where  the  odious  epithet  of  pirate 
would  not  follow  him — where  he  might  end  his  days  in 
peace  and  contentment.  Amid  the  shrieks  of  the  storm- 
bird,  the  roar  of  the  elements,  the  crash  of  thunder,  and 
the  screams  for  mercy  of  erring  men,  Jean  Lafitte,  with 
all  his  worldly  goods,  found  in  a  watery  tomb,  that 
oblivion  and  rest  which  were  denied  to  him  in  this  life. 
Peace  to  his  soul !  Justice  to  his  memory ! 

Barataria,  once  so  busy  a  scene,  where  roystering 
freebooters  held  their  noisy  wassail,  where  sharp-eyed 
peddlers  were  wont  to  gather  as  to  a  fair,  to  purchase 
great  bargains  from  traders  more  skillful  in  handling  a 
pike  and  cutlass  than  in  higgling  over  silks  and  jewelry ; 
and  where,  not  unfrequently,  might  be  seen  some  of  the 
chief  men  of  New  Orleans,  who,  from  the  profits  of  their 
transactions  with  the  unsophisticated  but  very  successful 
privateers,  became  millionaires  in  full  time  to  repent  of 
their  early  irregularities,  and  establish  for  themselves 
high  reputations,  as  punctilious  merchants  and  law- 
abiding  citizens ;  where  floated  a  gallant  little  fleet  of 
fast  sailers,  trim,  arrow-like  craft,  armed  to  the  teeth, 
and  ready  for  any  emergency ;  where,  on  the  low  coast, 
quite  a  formidable  battery  of  cannon  stood  ready  to 
defend  the  valuable  stores,  and  to  dispute  the  passage 
through  the  narrow  strait  by  which  New  Orleans  could 
be  reached  in  the  shortest  distance  from  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  the  scene  of  all  this  life,  jollity,  and  lawless 
adventure,  is  now  one  of  the  most  solitary,  dreary,  and 


LA1>'ITTE,    THE    PATRIOT.  01 

desolate  along  the  whole  low,  flat  coast  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  Barataria,  no  longer  a  doubtful  or  disputed 
territory,  has  long  since  passed  from  the  possession  of 
the  freebooter  into  that  of  the  republic  of  the  United 
States,  which  now  proclaims  and  enforces  its  title  by  a 
powerful  fortification,  that  completely  commands  tho 
entrance  of  the  bay,  from  whose  ramparts  the  eye,  fol- 
lowing the  winding  strait,  can  discern  the  quiet  little 
cove,  now  restored  to  its  original  desolation  and  solitude, 
and  the  dreary,  storm-beaten  shore,  where  a  few  dark 
mounds  and  crumbling  heaps  afford  the  only  vestiges 
of  the  brief  but  brilliant  reign  of  Jean  Lafitte,  the 
blacksmith  of  St.  Philip  street,  New  Orleans,  miscalled 
the  Pirate  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 


JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 


IY. 


JACKSON   CLEARS   HIS   FLANKS. 

IT  was  in  the  middle  of  September,  1814,  when  Jack- 
son learned  definitely  the  design  of  the  British  against 
New  Orleans.  Before  he  could  leave  for  that  scene  of 
operations,  it  was  necessary  to  ascertain  what  was  the 
object  of  the  several  British  ships  that  were  hovering 
about  the  Gulf  coast,  as  well  as  of  the  preparations  that 
were  going  on  atPensacola,  with  the  connivance  of  the 
Spanish  authorities.  It  was  quite  evident  that  the 
British  had  .selected  this  important  post  as  the  base  of 
their  operations.  In  the  summer  of  1814,  the  brig 
Orpheus,  under  the  command  of  the  Hon.  Sir  "VV.  H. 
Percy,  a  youthful  officer,  who  inherited  the  courage  and 
enterprise  of  his  ancestors — immortalized  in  the  fine  old 
ballad  of  "  Chevy  Chase" — landed  at  Apalachicola, 
and  dispatched  several  officers  to  intrigue  with  the 
neighboring  Choctaws,  with  a  view  of  obtaining  their 
aid  in  operations  against  Fort  Bowyer.  As  far  as 
promises  and  assurances  would  go,  these  intrigues  were 
quite  successful.  The  Choctaws  are  a  cunning  tribe, 
wlto  prefer  the  money,  the  blankets,  the  gew-gaws  and 
whisky  of  the  whites,  to  all  the  scalps,  trophies  and 
glories  of  war. 


JACKSON    CLEARS    HIS    FLANKS.  63 

Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  the  Hermes,  two  British 
sloops  of  war  appeared  in  the  same  waters.  These 
sloops  had  on  board  a  small  land  force,  intended  as  the 
nucleus  of  an  army,  to  be  augmented  by  additions  from 
the  Spanish  and  Indian  populations  of  the  country. 
These  were  under  the  command  of  Col.  Nichols,  an 
Irishman  by  birth,  and  an  officer  of  much  daring, 
activity  and  energy,  but  of  blustering  manners,  of  quick 
and  violent  temper,  and  unscrupulous  character. 

On  his  way  to  the  Florida  coast,  Nichols  stopped  at 
Havana  and  endeavored  to  persuade  the  Captain- 
General  to  cooperate  with  the  means  and  force  of  that 
colony,  in  the  enterprise  against  Louisiana  and  Florida. 
But  the  cautious  Spaniard  was  not  to  be  enticed  into 
such  a  perilous  adventure.  Nichols  then  proceeded  to 
Pensacola,  landed  his  force  without  asking  leave  of  the 
authorities,  and  commenced  organizing  an  expedition  to 
march  into  the  interior.  The  Indians  were  invited  to 
come  in  and  join  the  party.  Runners  were  sent  in 
every  direction  to  collect  and  conduct  them  to  Pen- 
sacola. There,  they  were  supplied  with  arms  and 
uniforms,  and  drilled  according  to  the  civilized  mode  of 
warfare.  Grotesque  and  ludicrous  in  the  extreme,  was 
the  appearance  of  these  untutored  savages,  as  they 
paraded  the  streets  of  the  quaint  old  town  of  Pensacola, 
arrayed  in  the  gaudy  scarlet  uniforms  of  the  British 
army. 

Almost  the  first  act  of  Nichols,  after  arriving  at 
Pensacola,  was  to  dispatch  Captain  Lochkyer  to  Bara- 
taria,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  the  aid  of  Lafitte 
and  his  men,  and  particularly  of  his  invaluable  small 
craft,  so  necessary  in  coast  operations.  The  result  of 
that  mission  has  already  been  related.  Meantime 


64  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Nichols    continued    to    organize    and    strengthen  his 
motley  command  at  Pensacola, 

The  conduct  of  the  Spanish  authorities,  in  conniving 
at  and  permitting  such  an  organization  within  their 
territory  and  against  the  United  States,  naturally 
excited  much  indignation  throughout  the  Union.  Gene- 
ral Jackson  had  been  sent  specially  to  prevent  and 
punish  such  violations  of  neutrality  and  good  faith. 
He  had  full  authority  to  call  upon  the  neighboring 
States  for  troops.  His  call  upon  Louisiana  was  promptly 
responded  to,  and  Governor  Claiborne  held  all  the 
available  force  of  the  State  ready  to  march  to  Jackson's 
aid.  But  the  timely  approach  of  the  indefatigable  and 
unfailing  CoiFee  with  his  mounted  gunmen,  together 
with  several  detachments  of  regular  troops  then  in  the 
territory,  supplied  Jackson  with  a  force  sufficient  to 
check  any  movements  of  the  British  from  that  quarter, 
and  to  put  a  stop  to  the  proceedings  at  Pensacola.  His 
keen  eye,  in  surveying  the  coast,  quickly  discovered 
that  a  great  error  had  been  committed  in  the  evacua- 
tion of  Fort  Bowyer,  a  point,  from  which  the  British 
would  be  exposed  to  much  annoyance  in  any  operations 
in  the  Lakes  and  along  the  Gulf  coast.  This  fort  not 
only  commanded  the  entrance  into  Mobile  Bay  and 
the  navigation  of  the  rivers  which  empty  into  it,  but 
also  the  passes  of  the  Lakes  on  the  west  side.  The  fort 
stood  at  the  extremity  of  the  tongue  or  isthmus  extend- 
ing between  Lake  Borgne  and  Bon  Secour,  or  mouth 
of  the  Mobile  Bay.  To  this  fort,  Jackson  sent  Major 
Lawrence,  of  the  regular  army,  with  one  hundred  and 
thirty  men,  including  officers  and  twenty  pieces  of 
cannon.  By  great  exertions,  the  fort  was  placed  in  a 
situation  to  make  a  vigorous  defence,  in  time  for  the 


JACKSON    CLEARS    HIS    FLANKS.  65 

arrival  of  the  British  fleet,  whose  commander,  seeing 
the  importance  of  the  point,  hastened  to  attack  it. 

On  the  evening  of  the  12th  September,  1814,  the 
outpost  sentinel  of  the  fort  descried  a  dark,  confused 
mass  of  men  coming  over  the  low  beach  from  the  Lake 
Borgne  side  of  the  isthmus.  It  was  nightfall,  and  the 
party  having  halted,  bivouacked  on  the  beach.  The 
next  day,  as  soon  as  it  was  light,  they  advanced  in  bat- 
tle array  against  the  fort.  It  was  quite  a  formidable 
force.  There  were  about  two  hundred  Indian  warriors, 
who  had  acquired  some  experience  and  familiarity  with 
warlike  operations,  in  the  recently  concluded  campaigns 
of  Jackson  ;  most  of  them  disguised  in  British  jackets, 
bearing  awkwardly  heavy  muskets,  and  wearing  swords 
that  dangled  between  their  naked  legs,  and  tripped 
them  up  on  the  sand.  They  came  towards  the  fort  in 
one  long,  straggling  line — their  flanks  being  supported 
by  compact  lines  of  British  marines.  Permitting  them 
to  approach  within  good  range,  Major  Lawrence  sud- 
denly opened  upon  them  with  a  few  well-directed 
discharges  of  grape,  which  soon  drove  them  howling 
and  screaming,  like  wild  beasts,  foiled  of  their  prey, 
beyond  the  reach  of  his  guns. 

In  the  meantime  the  British  squadron  approached 
the  fort  in  front.  This  was  a  more  serious  affair. 
Major  Lawrence  assembled  his  men,  and  called  on 
them  to  join  in  a  solemn  oath,  not  to  surrender  the 
fort.  The  spirit  of  his  gallant  namesake  prevailed  in 
that  heroic  band — "  Don't  give  up  the  fort,"  was  the 
oath  and  motto  of  the  garrison. 

The  British  ships  were  four  in  number.  The  Hermes, 
28 ;  the  Charon,  28 ;  Sophia,  18 ;  Anaconda,  16 ;  all 


66  JACKSON  AND  NEW  OBLEANS. 

thirty-twos,  making  an  effective  battery  of  ninety  guns, 
manned  by  six  hundred  sailors  and  marines.  These 
ships  approached  within  musket  range  of  the  fort,  and 
casting  anchor,  opened  a  tremendous  tire  upon  it.  At 
the  same  time,  their  land  forces  having  thrown  up  a 
battery  within  seven  hundred  yards  of  the  fort,  com- 
menced firing  from  that  direction.  Major  Lawrence 
returned  both  fires  with  great  vigor.  For  some  time 
the  cannonade  was  maintained  on  both  sides  with  the 
greatest  fury,  the  fort  and  ships  being  completely 
enveloped  in  smoke.  The  American  batteries,  though 
managed  by  infantry,  were  more  effective  than  the 
British.  Soon  the  flag  of  the  Hermes  was  shot  away. 
Major  Lawrence,  with  the  chivalric  consideration  of  a 
true  soldier,  suspended  his  firing.  The  Hermes  having 
restored  her  flag  again  poured  her  broadsides  into  the 
little  fort  with  redoubled  fury.  The  reply  of  the  fort 
was  equally  earnest.  At  last  the  cable  of  the  Hermes 
was  cut,  and  her  situation  became  very  critical.  Struck 
by  the  current,  she  was  borne  towards  the  fort,  and  her 
bows  presented  to  its  cannon,  which  raked  her  decks 
fore  and  aft.  Soon  she  drifted  ashore,  when  her  com- 
mander, Cap-tain  Percy,  setting  fire  to  her,  abandoned 
the  wreck  and  escaped  aboard  the  Charon.  About  this 
time  the  flag  of  the  fort  was  shot  away,  and  whilst 
Major  Lawrence  was  fastening  it  to  a  sponge-rod  .to 
elevate  it  again,  the  British  force  on  land  rushed 
towards  the  fort,  thinking  it  had  surrendered.  A  few 
discharges  of  grape,  however,  from  the  fort,  soon  sent 
them  back  again  in  double-quick  time.  The  other 
vessels  were  then,  with  difficulty,  hauled  off,  and 
finally,  the  enterprise  was  abandoned  by  the  British 


JACKSON    CLEARS     UIS     FLANKS.  67 

with  a  loss  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  killed  and 
seventy-two  wounded.  Major  Lawrence  lost  four  killed 
and  four  wounded. 

Never  was  there  a  more  poignant  disappointment 
than  that  which  prevailed  at  Pensacola  among  the 
Spaniards  and  British,  when  the  result  of  this  expedi- 
tion was  known.  The  Spaniards  had  been  excited  by 
the  hope  of  reclaiming  the  valuable  territory  which  the 
Americans  had  snatched  from  them  four  years  before. 
The  Indians  had  been  enticed,  by  the  prospect  of 
revenge,  of  bloodshed  and  rapine.  The  British  confi- 
dently hoped  to  secure  the  key  to  their  future  grand 
designs  against  the  Southwest.  But  in  place  of  these 
splendid  results,  behold  their  fleet,  creeping  in  such 
crippled  state  slowly  into  Pensacola,  with  signs  of 
defeat  and  disaster,  that  might  move  the  pity  of  their 
enemies.  Their  noble  commander's  laurels  have  shri- 
velled, and  the  lofty  pride  of  the  Percys  suffered  an 
abasement,  which  must  indeed  have  sent  a  bitter  pang 
to  the  heart  of  the  aristocratic  young  sailor,  whose  once 
gallant  ship  now  lay  a  smouldering  wreck  on  the  dreary 
coast  of  Bon  Secour. 

The  feelings  of  the  impetuous  Irishman,*  who  was  the 
soul  and  author  of  this  enterprise,  may  be  better 
imagined  than  described.  To  the  mental  chagrin  of 
defeat  in  a  cherished  undertaking,  Colonel  Nichols 
had  the  misfortune,  on  this,  occasion,  to  add  the  agony 
of  a  severe  and  painful  wound  received  in  the  action. 

Major  Lawrence  and  his  gallant  associates  well 
deserved  the  thanks  which  Jackson,  in  his  own,  and 
in  the  name  of  the  Republic,  conveyed  to  them  as  the 
heroes  of  one  of  the  most  gallant  but  least  noticed 
affairs  of  the  war  of  1812. 


68  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Jackson  now  began  to  chafe  with  impatience  at  th« 
long  delays  in  the  approach  of  the  troops,  for  which  he 
had  for  some  months  before  issued  his  requisitions.  Ho 
perceived  very  clearly  the  plan  of  the  British.  The 
"Pirate's"  information  was  now  confirmed.  It  was 
quite  evident  that  the  attack  on  Fort  Bowyer  was  a 
feeler,  a  preliminary  step  to  the  occupation  of  a  more 
important  place,  the  only  considerable  town  in  the 
Southwest.  New  Orleans  was  the  game  for  which 
they  were  "  beating  the  bush."  Jackson  soon  dissemi- 
nated this  conviction.  The  news  flew  through  the 
country,  not  with  electric  fleetness,  but  as  rapidly  as 
the  imperfect  communications  of  that  period  would 
permit,  that  New  Orleans  was  to  be  attacked — that 
New  Orleans,  for  the'  possession  of  which,  the  popula- 
tion in  the  Mississippi  valley  had  struggled  so  long, 
even  to  the  point  of  threatening  to  dissolve  the  Union 
and  involving  the  nation  in  war,  rather  than  permit  so 
important  a  depot  of  their  trade  to  remain  in  the  hands 
of  another  Power.  The  city,  which  was  destined  to 
become  the  second  in  commerce  in  the  Union,  the 
metropolis  and  capital  of  the  great  empire  of  the 
Mississippi  valley,  whither  the  vast  and  various  popu- 
lation of  this  great  region  would  resort  for  trade, 
pleasure,  information — was  not  to  be  yielded  up  on  any 
consideration  or  at  any  sacrifice. 

All  depended  on  the  West.  The  South  was  too  weak 
in  resources  and  population,  to  offer  a  prompt  and  effect- 
ive resistance  to  the  invader.  The  Government  at  Wash- 
ington, so  incapable  in  its  own  immediate  neighborhood, 
had  neither  the  energy,  nor  the  means  to  afford  any 
prompt  aid  in  defence  of  so  remote  a  settlement.  Presi- 
dent Madison's  "  inability  to  view  scenes  of  carnage 


JACKSON    CLEARS    HIS    FLANKS.  69 

with  composure,"  to  which  Jackson  ascribed  that  sad 
disgrace  at  Bladensburg  and  Washington,  had  quite 
unnerved  him  ever  since  the  destruction  of  the  Capitol 
by  a  British  force  one-fourth  as  large  as  that  which  was 
reported  to  be  on  its  way  towards  New  Orleans.  In 
place  of  men  and  munitions,  the  Government  sent  Jack- 
son to  create  both.  Thus  it  redeemed  the  most  criminal 
neglect. 

The  occasion  had  brought  forward  the  man.  Un- 
daunted, whilst  the  whole  country  was  filled  with  the 
gloomiest  forebodings,  Jackson  commenced  his  prepara- 
tions to  receive  the  enemy.  He  sent  forth  proclama- 
tions, full  of  ardent  patriotism  and  inspiring  energy,  to 
the  people  of  the  South  and  West,  entreating  them  to 
leave  their  peaceful  homes,  their  families,  and  their  civil 
duties,  and  hasten  to  the  point  where  the  honor  of  the 
Republic  was  threatened.  No  class  of  citizens  was 
omitted  in  these  rallying  appeals.  Even  the  colored 
freemen  of  Louisiana,  so  generally  excluded  from  poli- 
tical rights  and  duties,  were  invited  to  co-operate  with 
their  white  brethren  in  the  defence  of  a  common  coun- 
try. 

Before  leaving  Mobile  to  commence  his  personal 
superintendence  of  the  defence  of  New  Orleans,  Jack- 
son determined  to  rid  that  quarter  of  an  annoyance 
from  which  he  might  experience  some  embarrassment  in 
his  future  operations.  We  refer  to  the  proceedings  at 
Pensacola,  where  the  hostile  British  and  Indians  found 
constant  aid  and  encouragement  from  the  faithless  Span- 
iards. The  opportune  arrival  of  some  new  levies  from 
Tennessee,  together  with  detachments  of  regular  troops, 
a  troop  of  Mississippi  dragoons,  amounting  in  all  to  four 
thousand  effective  men,  supplied  him  with  an  efficient 


70  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

force,  which  he  immediately  set  in  motion,  and  after  a 
long  and  wearisome  march,  appeared  suddenly  before 
Pensacola. 

After  some  negotiations  conducted  through  Major 
Peire — a  gallant  and  high-toned  young  officer — a  native 
of  New  Orleans,  the  Spaniards  refusing  to  accede  to 
demands  which  were  equally  just,  and  necessary  to  their 
own  security  and  the  preservation  of  their  neutrality, 
Jackson  pushed  his  column  into  the  town,  carrying  a 
Spanish  fort  which  opened  upon  him,  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet,  with  the  loss  of  eleven  killed  and  wounded. 
The  Governor  then,  sent  a  flag  of  truce  and  hostilities 
ceased.  But  the  commander  of  Fort  St.  Michael,  refus- 
ing to  surrender  that  post,  Major  Peire  was  directed 
with  eight  hundred  men  to  take  it,  Jackson,  at  the  same 
time,  withdrawing  the  greater  part  of  his  force  from  the 
town,  under  the  fire  of  the  English  ships  anchored  in 
the  harbor.  The  commandant  of  the  fort,  after  much 
equivocation  and  delay,  at  last  surrendered  to  Major 
Peire  just  as  that  officer  was  forming  his  storming  party. 

The  moderation  and  good  conduct  of  the  Americans 
soon  reconciled  the  Spaniards  to  the  vigorous  measures 
which  Jackson  had  employed  against  them.  Jackson 
next  advanced  against  Fort  Barancas.  on  the  other  side 
of  the  bay,  but  seeing  his  approach,  the  Spaniards  blew 
it  up.  and  retreated  to  the  British  ships,  which  shortly 
after  weighed  anchor,  and  dropped  over  the  bar. 

It  was  in  this  attack  on  Pensacola,  that  two  of  the 
most  gallant  of  Jackson's  young  officers  were  grievously 
wounded.  The  forlorn  hope  in  this  attack  was  composed 
of  the  company  of  Captain  Laval,  of  the  Third  Regi- 
ment. Laval  was  a  South  Carolinian.  His  father  had 
been  an  officer  in  the  French  service,  who  came  over  to 


JACKSON     CLEARS    HIS    FLANKS.  71 

America  in  the  legion  of  the  Duke  of  Lauzun  in  tho 
war  of  independence. 

Calling  upon  his  men  to  follow,  Capt.  Laval  rushed 
forward  at  the  head  of  his  company,  through  a  tempest 
of  grape  and  round  shot,  until  he  reached  the  foot  of 
the  Spanish  battery,  when  a  large  grape  shot  tore  his 
leg  to  pieces,  and  he  fell  apparently  lifeless  to  the  ground 
At  the  same  moment  Lieutenant  Flournoy  lost  his  leg, 
and  fell  by  the  side  of  Captain  Laval.  Both  these  gal- 
lant men  survived  their  injuries,  and  are  now  living  in 
robust  health  and  vigor. 

Captain  Laval,  who  resides  in  Charleston,  after  filling 
the  offices  of  Secretary  of  State  of  South  Carolina,  Con- 
troller General,  Assistant  Treasurer  of  the  United  States, 
is  now  the  Treasurer  of  his  native  State,  universally 
respected  for  his  many  virtues,  and  admired  for  his 
manly  bearing  and  striking  military  appearance. 

Lieutenant  Flournoy,  now  Dr.  Flournoy,  is  a  highly 
respectable  citizen  of  Louisiana,  residing  in  the  parish 
of  Caddo. 

By  these  vigorous  measures,  Jackson  relieved  himself 
of  all  trouble  and  annoyance  in  this  quarter.  Establish- 
ing garrisons  in  Pensacola,  he  marched  the  greater  part 
of  his  force  back  to  Mobile.  From  this  point  he  dis- 
patched all  his  disposable  troops  to  Kew  Orleans,  and 
then  left  for  this  scene  of  his  more  trying  and  important 
duties. 

The  State  authorities  of  Louisiana  had  not  been  idle. 
Governor  Claiborne,  having  convened  the  Legislature 
on  the  5th  October,  1814,  called  their  attention  to  the 
impending  invasion,  and  to  the  duty  and  necessity  of 
meeting  it  in  a  vigorous  and  effective  manner.  The 
Legislature  proceeded  to  business,  but  under  most  dis* 


72  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

couraging  auspices.  The  members  were  divided  into 
several  factions.  The  most  trivial  disputes  engrossed 
their  minds.  By  one  party  the  Governor  was  so  cor- 
dially hated,  that  the  members,  in  the  manifestation  of 
their  hostility,  did  not  perceive,  or  did  not  care,  that 
their  conduct  was  communicating  discouragement  and 
discord  to  the  people.  There  was  no  union  or  harmony 
of  action ;  no  confidence  in  one  another,  or  between 
officials,  under  the  same  Government.  Besides,  there 
was  the  prejudice  and  jealousy  of  races.  The  Ameri- 
cans distrusted  the  loyalty  of  the  Creoles,  and  the  Creoles 
could  not  believe  that  the  new  settlers  would  risk  their 
lives  for  the  defence  of  the  soil  whereon  they  had  so 
recently  "  pitched  their  tents." 

Both  distrusted  the  foreign  population,  though  it  con- 
tributed some  of  the  boldest  and  most  efficient  of  the 
city's  defenders.  Prominent  in  this  class  were  the  Irish 
and  French  emigrants,  all  of  whom,  then  residing  in 
the  city,  and  capable  of  bearing  arms,  came  forward 
promptly  and  determinedly  to  fight  for  their  adopted 
country,  and  for  freedom,  against  their  hereditary 
oppressor  and  enemy. 

Seeing  their  chiefs  and  leaders  thus  divided,  the  people 
grew  alarmed,  distrustful,  and  despairing.  They  com- 
plained of  the  Legislature  ;  the  Legislature  complained 
of  the  Governor ;  the  Governor  complained  of  both  the 
Legislature  and  the  people.  Time  and  money  were 
consumed  in  these  idle  disputations,  and  in  the  discus- 
sion of  various  schemes  of  defence,  concocted  by  "  rising 
politicians,"  smart  lawyers,  enterprising  merchants,  and 
pretentious  planters.  There  was  neither  money  nor 
credit  in  the  city.  The  country  had  been  drained  of 
its  specie.  New  Orleans  being  exclusively  an  exporting 


JACKSON"  CLEAK8  HIS  FLANKS.  73 

city,  ceased  to  possess  any  resources  \vheii  its  foreign 
commerce  was  cut  off.  The  banks  bad  suspended  pay- 
ment ;  small  notes  were  put  in  circulation ;  and  dollars 
cut  in  pieces  to  make  small  change.  Capitalists  and 
merchants  hoarded  their  means.  All  kinds  of  arms 
and  munitions  of  war  were  scarce. 

Indeed,  never  was  a  city  so  defenceless,  so  exposed, 
so  weak,  so  prostrate,  as  New  Orleans  in  the  fall  of  1814. 
There  was  not  sufficient  time  to  obtain  aid  from  the 
West.  There  was  no  naval  force  in  the  port  or  the 
adjacent  waters ;  not  a  regiment  of  armed  men  in  the 
city.  The  resources  of  the  whole  State  were  scarcely 
adequate  to  the  production  and  organization  of  two 
militia  regiments.  The  population  of  the  city  was  a 
new  and  mixed  one,  composed  of  people  of  all  nations 
and  races,  who  had  been  too  recently  admitted  into  the 
Union  to  feel  that  strong  attachment  for  the  government 
and  flag,  which  characterizes  an  old  and  homogeneous 
community.  Besides,  there  was  a  vast  amount  of  valu- 
able property,  merchandise  and  produce  accumulated 
in  the  storehouses,  which  would  be  in  danger  of  destruc- 
tion in  case  of  an  attempt  to  repel  the  invader.  To  save 
this  property,  would  be,  a  strong  inducement  to  a  sur- 
render and  capitulation  of  the  city.  Few,  indeed,  were 
there  who  could  look  these  perils  and  difficulties  in  the 
face,  and  entertain  the  idea  of  a  serious  defence  of  the 
city  against  any  well-organized  and  well-conducted 
expedition. 

It  was  at  this  gloomy  moment  Jackson  arrived.  lie 
was  worn  down  by  fatigne,  anxiety  and  sickness.  That 
most  distressing  and  enervating  of  all  the  diseases  of 
the  soldier,  the  dysentery,  had  left  him  scarcely  the 
strength  to  stand  erect  or  sit  upon  his  horse.  He  carno 

4 


74  JACKSON   AND   NEW   ORLEANS. 

to  the  city  with  no  display  of  power ;  with  no  loud  pro- 
testations, brilliant  promises  or  extravagant  boasts.    And 
yet  his  presence  in  New  Orleans  was  like  that  of  "  an 
army  with  banners  ;"  his  name  was  "  a  host ;"  his  words 
communicated  confidence  and  hope  to  all.     The  stories 
of  his  gallantry,  his  invincibility,  his  heroic  resolution 
and  Spartan  fortitude,  were  familiar  as  household  ditties 
to  the  people  of  New  Orleans.     No  wonder,  then,  their 
spirits  rallied  and  their  courage  grew  strong,  when  the 
electric  words  flew  through  the  city  and  its  faubourgs — 
"  Jackson  has  come !"     The  people   were   now   thor- 
oughly aroused  to  a  sense  of  their  duty.     A  resolute 
determination  to  defend  the  city  to  the  last  pervaded  all 
classes.     Jackson  did  not  permit  their  ardor  to  cool. 
He  proceeded  to   organize  the  military  force   of  the 
city,  which  at  that  time  consisted  of  two  small  militia 
regiments,    and    a    weak    but    gallant    battalion    of 
uniformed  volunteers,  commanded  by  Major  Plauche,  a 
firm,  sedate,   gallant  Creole,  who  now  lives   in  New 
Orleans,  respected  and  honored  by  all  his  fellow  citizens. 
This  corps  was  composed  chiefly  of  young  Creoles,  who 
were  full  of  military  ardor  and  courage.     The  compa- 
nies were  variously  uniformed,  and  highly  disciplir^ed 
and  trained.     They  marched  with  the  port  and  precision 
of  regular  soldiers  to  the  music  of  a  fine  band. 

This  battalion  had  been  formed  about  a  month  before 
the  arrival  of  Jackson.  It  originated  with  the  company 
of  "  Carabinicrs  d*  Orleans"  the  first  independent  volun- 
teer corps  organized  in  New  Orleans  after  the  cession 
of  Louisiana  to  the  United  States,  which  had  already 
been  in  existence,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Plauche,  for  two  years,  when  it  was  proposed,  in  view 
of  the  threatening  aspect  of  affaire,  to  form  other  com- 


JACKSON  CLEARS  DI8  FLANKS.  75 

panies,  in  numbers  sufficient  to  make  a  battalion.  Ac- 
cordingly, four  other  companies  were  organized,  under 
the  respective  names  of  "  Hulans,"  or  Foot  Dragoons, 
under  captain  St.  Geine;  "Francs,"  Captain  Hudry; 
"  Louisiana  Blues,"  Captain  Maunsel  White ;  "  Chas- 
seurs," Captain  Guibert.  The  rank  and  file  of  the 
battalion  amounted  to  three  hundred  and  eighty-five 
men.  Captain  Plauche  was  elected  Major  on  the  15th 
December,  and  Captain  Roche  succeeded  him  in  the 
command  of  the  Carabiniers. 

Forty  years  and  more  have  now  elapsed  since  this 
gallant  corps  d1  elite  of  citizen  soldiers  was  formed. 
Death  has  not  spared  its  ranks ;  still  there  linger  in  our 
midst,  not  a  few  of  these  veterans,  who  were  the  first  to 
illustrate  and  stimulate  that  military  ardor,  which  has 
ever  distinguished  New  Orleans  above  all  other  com- 
munities ;  and  which,  thirty-four  years  after,  enabled  a 
city  of  one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants  to  contribute 
in  a  few  weeks,  six  fine  regiments  of  volunteers,  who 
abandoned  homes  and  families,  to  march  to  a  distant 
and  foreign  land,  to  defend  the  flag  and  sustain  the  arms 
of  the  Republic. 

The  names  of  the  men  of  the  bataillon  d'Orleans  who 
still  survive,  deserve  to  be  mentioned  in  sketches,  that 
aim  to  revive  and  invigorate  the  gratitude  and  venera- 
tion, in  which  the  present  generation  should  hold  those 
whose  gallant  bearing  gave  so  much  courage  and  confi- 
dence to  the  population  of  New  Orleans  in  its  day  of 
trial  and  peril.  Those  names  are  as  follows:  J.  B. 
Plauche,  major ;  Maunsel  White,  captain  of  the  Louis- 
iana Blues ;  E.  J.  Forstall,  corporal ;  Tricou,  Boreas, 
Pelerin,  Pedesclaux,  P.  Lanaux,  P.  DeBuys,  W.  De- 
Buys,  Garidel,  II.  McCall,  Vincent  Nolte,  Carabiniere. 
A.  Fernandez,  Fauchet,  musicians.  Of  the  Hulans  there 


76  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

are  but  three  survivors — Correjoles,  Duplantier,  and 
Barnet.  Of  the  Francs  there  are  also  three  living, 
C.  Toledano,  R.  Toledano,  P.  D.  Henry.  Of  the  Louis- 
iana Bines,  besides  their  captain,  Messrs.  John  Hagan 
and  H.  W.  Palfrey  survive.  The  latter  is  now  the  Briga- 
dier General  commanding  the  Louisiana  Legion,  a  large 
military  force  composed  of  several  battalions,  of  which 
the  Carabiniers  of  1814  was  the  origin.  Of  the  Chas- 
seurs the  survivors  are  J.  R.  Lepretre,  Lamothe  fils, 
S.  Cyr,  G.  Montamat,  C.  W.  Duhy,  S.  M.  Lapice,  S.  Pey- 
rouse,  L.  Ferranderie,  Meunier,  M.  Melleur  and  Bournos, 
making  in  all  thirty-six. 

Jackson  called  together  all  the  engineers  in  New 
Orleans,  to  obtain  the  necessary  information  in  regard 
to  the  topography  of  the  city,  and  consult  about  the 
defences.  He  saw  at  a  glance,  that  the  city  could  be 
approached  by  various  large  bayous,  which,  starting 
near  the  Mississippi,  flow  into  the  gulf  or  the  numerous 
bays  that  indent  the  Gulf  shore.  By  his  order,  Governor 
Claiborne  caused  the  mouths  of  the  principal  of  these 
bayous  to  be  filled  up  with  earth  and  trees.  Next, 
Jackson  visited  all  the  forts  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
city,  ordered  them  to  be  strengthened,  and  new  forts 
and  fortifications  to  be  established  at  various  points. 
He  gave  special  attention  to  strengthening  and  render- 
ing impregnable  Fort  St.  Philip,  below  the  city,  and 
occupying  a  most  favorable  position  to  prevent  the 
passage  up  the  river  of  ships  of  war. 

And  now  the  people  of  New  Orleans  breathed  freely 
and  slept  soundly.  They  had  neither  armies  nor  navies, 
but  they  had  the  bold  heart,  the  strong  mind,  and  the 
unconquerable  spirit  of  a  Jackson — to  defend  their 
firesides,  and  they  felt  secure,  confident  and  courageous. 


THE   BRITISH    REVIEW    AND    EMBARKATION.  77 


V. 


THE  BRITISH   REVIEW   AND   EMBARKATION. 

ABOUT  the  first  of  September,  1814,  there  was  a  great 
stir  and  commotion  in  the  good  old  seaport  town  of 
Plymouth,  England.  Everybody  was  on  the  qui  vive. 
The  streets  thronged  with  people,  elate  with  the  excite- 
ment of  some  public  festivity,  and  dressed  for  some 
gala  occasion.  All  was  life,  happiness  and  enjoyment. 
All  the  clouds  that  had  lowered  upon  the  island  were 
now  dissipated  by  the  treaty  of  Paris.  The  dread 
Napoleon  was  playing  Emperor  on  the  island  of  Elba. 
The  Continental  war  had  ceased  to  be  the  "  thought  by 
day  and  dream  by  night "  of  the  pacific  and  commercial 
classes,  who  composed  the  majority  of  the  population 
of  Great  Britain.  There  was  only  one  speck  on  the 
horizon  of  England's  happiness,  and  that  was  too 
distant  to  excite  any  serious  apprehensions,  or  inter- 
rupt the  general  contentment. 

The  enthusiasm  and  excitement,  which  had  aroused 
the  usually  staid  and  lethargic  population  of  Plymouth, 
on  the  present  occasion,  were  due  to  the  expected  review 
of  one  of  the  finest  regiments  in  the  British  service, — a 
regiment  which  did  not  return,  as  so  many  others  had 
straggled  into  Plymouth,  shattered  and  demoralized, 
broken  in  body,  spirit,  and  soul — ghastly  remnants  of 


78  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

the  fierce  struggles  that  had  destroyed  the  constitutions 
and  moral  control  of  so  many  men,  who  might  other- 
wise have  proved  useful  members  of  society,  but  by  the 
ambition  of  monarchs  or  ministers,  were  converted  either 
into  crippled  invalids  or  reckless  vagabonds. 

Not  in  this  condition  did  the  Ninety-third  Highland- 
ers return  to  Plymouth,  from  their  long  and  peaceful 
sojourn  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Their  history,  their 
long  absence — the  reputation  of  the  regiment  for  moral- 
ity and  even  piety,  had  surrounded  the  Ninety-third 
with  more  than  usual  interest  and  eclat,  in  the  view  of 
the  Plymouth  people.  This  regiment  was  the  junior 
Highland  corps  of  the  service,  having  been  organized 
by  General  Wemyss,  in  1803.  The  men  were  chiefly 
enlisted  in  Ross  and  Sutherland  counties  of  Scotland. 
Hence  they  were  usually  styled  the  Sutherland  High- 
landers. In  1811  the  numerical  strength  of  the  regi- 
ment, including  non-commissioned  officers,  was  one 
thousand  and  fifty  men,  of  whom  one  thousand  were 
Scotch,  seventeen  were  Irish,  and  eighteen  English. 
The  uniform  of  the  regiment  was  very  rich  and  showy, 
being  of  a  bright  tartan  with  kilts,  high  caps  trimmed 
with  yellow  and  red.  The  men  were  of  the  most  stal- 
wart proportions,  having  been  recruited  with  particular 
reference  to  size,  height  and  youth.  On  account  of  the 
admirable  discipline  and  moral  character  of  this  regi- 
ment, it  was  kept  on  home  service  until  1805,  when,  for 
the  first  time,  the  pibroch  was  played  at  its  head,  and 
the  Ninety-third  was  mustered  into  the  Expedition 
against  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  under  Major  General 
Sir  David  Baird.  In  this  enterprise  the  Ninety-third 
was  greatly  distinguished.  After  the  capture  and  occu- 
pation of  the  Cape,  the  regiment  remained  there  in 


THE   BRITISH   REVIEW   AND   EMBARKATION.  79 

garrison  until  1814,  when  it  embarked  for  England. 
During  its  long  sojourn  at  this  remote  station,  the 
Ninety-third  continued  in  excellent  condition,  its  disci- 
pline and  moral  tone  being  admirably  preserved.  As 
an  evidence  of  this,  we  may  cite  the  remarkable  fact, 
that  in  the  Light  Infantry  company,  which  is  composed 
usually  of  the  youngest,  most  reckless  and  volatile  of 
the  regiment,  no  man  was  punished  for  eighteen  years. 
A  strong  feeling  of  piety  pervaded  the  regiment ;  the 
charity  and  thrift  of  the  men  were  strikingly  illustrated 
by  the  fact  that  during  their  sojourn  at  the  Cape  they 
were  in  the  habit  of  sending  considerable  sums  of 
money  home  for  charitable  and  religious  purposes. 

The  review  of  such  a  regiment  could  not  but  be  inter- 
esting to  a  people  not  much  accustomed  to  military  dis- 
play. The  Prince  of  Orange,  with  a  splendid  staff,  had 
come  down  from  London  to  attend  this  review.  The 
parade  was  brilliant  and  impressive.  The  Ninety-third 
was  out  in  all  its  strength,  over  a  thousand  rank  and 
file.  The  men,  habited  in  bran  new  tartans,  with  bright 
muskets,  waving  banners,  and  the  pipers  sending  forth 
their  wildest  and  most  warlike  strains,  presented  a  most 
exciting  martial  spectacle.  When  formed  in  line  to 
receive  the  Prince  of  Orange  and  staff,  the  broad 
breasts,  wide  shoulders,  and  stalwart  figures  of  the 
Highlanders  gave  their  front  a  more  extended  and 
formidable  aspect,  than  even  the  strength  and  number 
of  the  regiment  appeared  to  justify. 

Never  did  a  commander  regard  his  men  with  more 
pride  than  the  gallant  Colonel  Dale  did  his  splendid 
corps,  nor  were  a  people  ever  more  pleased  and  de- 
lighted with  a  military  display  than  were  the  good  citi- 
zens of  Plymouth  with  this  parade  of  soldiers,  who  were 


80  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

no  less  remarkable  for  their  orderly  habits  than  for  their 
fine  military  condition  and  appearance,  who  presented 
to  them  the  novel  anomaly  in  the  British  army,  of 
peaceable  and  sober  soldiers.  The  review  passed  off 
very  pleasantly,  and  a  ball  and  other  festivities  con- 
cluded the  gaieties  of  the  day.  The  report  to  the  Horse 
Guards  of  the  review  and  inspection  of  the  ISTinety- 
third,  represented  that  there  was  no  regiment  in  his 
Majesty's  service  in  such  effective  and  complete  condi- 
tion. 

But  was  this  a  mere  holiday  display  and  parade  ?  So 
the  people  thought,  so  they  desired,  for  the  English  were 
heartily  sick  of  war  and  military  glory.  So,  too,  thought 
the  Highlanders,  though  they  had  long  panted  for  an 
opportunity  of  showing  that  they  were  as  brave  in  action 
and  efficient  in  war,  as  they  were  sober  and  orderly  in 
peace.  But  no  opportunity  seemed  open  to  them. 
England  was  at  peace  with  all  the  world,  except  the 
United  States,  and  the  hostilities  with  the  latter  power 
were  believed  to  be  hastening  to  a  close.  Commissioners 
of  the  two  nations  were  then  engaged  in  discussing  and 
arranging  the  terms  of  a  peace  and  settlement. 

It  was  not  many  days  after  the  review  we  have 
described,  that  a  large  fleet  of  ships-of-war  and  trans- 
ports sailed  into  the  port  of  Plymouth.  Soon  the  news 
flew  through  the  town  that  these  vessels  were  to  be 
employed  in  some  highly  important  secret  expedition. 
Yarious  were  the  surmises  and  conjectures  as  to  the 
object  of  such  expedition,  few  of  which,  we  imagine, 
approached  the  truth.  That  it  was  a  serious  affair,  was 
soon  confirmed  by  the  fact  of  the  Ninety-third  receiving 
marching  orders,  and  proceeding  on  board  the  trans- 
ports. Here  they  were  joined  by  fragments  of  other 


THE  BRITISH   REVIEW   AND   EMBARKATION.  81 

corps,  by  six  companies  of  the  95th  Rifles,  of  the  famous 
Riflle  brigade,  which,  under  Crauford  and  Barnard  had 
participated  so  largely  in  the  glories  of  the  Peninsular 
war,  with  detachments  of  artillery,  sappers  and  rocket- 
ers, and  a  squadron  of  dragoons  of  the  14th.  This 
force,  it  was  soon  known  was  placed  under  the  command 
of  Major  General  John  Keane,  a  young,  gallant  and 
ambitious  officer,  of  approved  courage  and  experience. 

Keane  was  a  native  of  the  North  of  Ireland,  and 
entered  the  army  very  young.  Of  an  active  tempera- 
ment, full  of  enterprise  and  devotion  to  his  profession, 
he  rose  rapidly  in  rank.  In  the  expedition  to  Egypt, 
under  Sir  Ralph  Abercrombie,  Keane,  who  was  then  a 
subaltern,  obtained  the  high  praise  of  his  superior  officer. 
He  was  next  attached  to  the  Sicilian  army,  under  Sir 
William  Bentinck  and  Sir  John  Murray,  and  in  the 
expedition  to  Catalonia  against  Suchet.  He  soon  rose 
to  the  command  of  a  brigade,  to  which  was  attached 
that  celebrated  fighting  regiment,  the  27th,  or  Enniskil- 
lins.  Though  the  conclusion  of  the  operations  in  this 
quarter  was  disastrous,  it  was  from  no  want  of  gallantry 
or  hard  fighting  on  the  part  of  the  troops  engaged.  The 
chief  brunt  of  the  fighting  fell  on  the  27th.  Nobly  did 
that  gallant  corps  bear  up  against  the  splendidly-disci- 
plined and  admirably-managed  columns  of  that  accom- 
plished soldier,  Marshall  Suchet,  the  most  successful  of 
Napoleon's  Lieutenants  in  the  Peninsular  war.  To  show 
the  spirit  and  ardent  gallantry  of  the  Enniskillins,  the 
following  incidents  may  not  be  uninteresting. 

Previous  to  this  first  encounter  with  the  Enniskillins, 
it  happened  that  a  wag  of  an  Irishman,  who  had  been 
taken  prisoner  by  the  'French,  enjoyed  some  free  con* 
versations  with  the  Marshal,  in  the  course  of  which  ho 

4* 


82  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

intimated  that  the  Irish  were  strongly  hostile  to  the 
British,  and  only  awaited  a  good  excuse  and  a  fair  oppor- 
tunity to  go  over  to  the  French.  Suchet  bit  at  the  bait. 
Accordingly,  on  the  first  occasion  of  meeting  the  Ennis- 
killins  in  battle,  he  directed  several  officers  to  advance 
in  front,  and  cry  out  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  "  Vive 
Irelandois !"  at  the  same  time,  extending  the  hand  of 
friendship  and  fraternity.  Keane,  discovering  at  a 
glance  the  purpose  of  the  French,  formed  the  regiment 
into  a  hollow,  and  ordered  it  to  assume  a  resting  posi- 
tion. The  French,  deceived  by  the  attitude  of  the  En- 
niskillins,  pushed  forward  enthusiastically  to  the  very 
centre  of  the  line,  giving  the  wildest  demonstrations  of 
joy  and  delight  over  the  fraternization  with  such  formi- 
dable foes.  Suddenly  Keane  roared  the  order,  "  Charge 
them  Enniskillins,  charge  !  charge !"  when  the  whole 
line  dashed  forward  like  a  drove  of  famished  wolves, 
and  firing  one  volley  into  the  thick  columns  of  the 
French,  sprung  at  them  with  their  bayonets  and  made 
fearful  havoc  in  their  ranks. 

It  was  the  same  regiment  which,  on  another  occasion, 
was  drawn  up  to  receive  the  charge  of  the  enemy,  when 
a  tall  grenadier  officer  stepped  out  of  the  French  ranks, 
and  challenged  to  mortal  combat  any  officer  of  the  27th, 
The  challenge  was  eagerly  accepted  by  Captain  Wal- 
dron,  who  advanced  half-way  to  the  front,  and  meeting 
the  boastful  Frenchman,  crossed  swords,  and,  after  a 
few  passes,  clove  his  head  in  twain.  Then  the  Ennis- 
killins raised  a  loud,  wild  shout  of  exultation,  and  rushed 
upon  the  French  with  irresistible  fury.  Such  were 
some  of  the  antecedents  of  the  associates  and  compan- 
ions in  arms  of  an  officer  who  is  destined  to  figure  con- 
epic  uously  in  these  sketches,  to  whom  was  entrusted  the 


THE   BKITISII   REVIEW    AND   EMBARKATION.  83 

command  of  the  expedition  which  was  organized  at 
Plymouth  in  the  fall  of  1814. 

"When  the  fleet  weighed  anchor,  and  set  sail  from 
Plymouth  on  the  18th  September,  1814,  there  were  not 
three  in  the  hundreds  composing  the  expedition,  who 
were  cognizant  of  its  object  and  design.  The  prevalent 
idea  was,  that  they  were  proceeding  to  join  Gen.  Ross 
in  America,  Keane  having  been  designated  as  the  second 
in  command  to  that  gallant  and  enterprising  officer. 

About  this  time,  the  little  army  of  Gen.  Ross,  which 
had  executed  one  of  the  most  daring  expeditions  of 
modern  times,  found  itself  under  the  necessity  of  with- 
drawing from  the  further  prosecution  of  its  designs 
against  Baltimore.  The  wanton  excesses,  and  barbar- 
ous outrages,  the  vandalic  destruction  of  unoffending 
buildings  devoted  to  scientific  and  civil  uses,  and  even 
of  monuments  erected  to  commemorate  the  triumph  of 
American  valor  over  the  native  tribes  of  JBarbary,  have 
so  sullied  and  disgraced  the  character  of  this  expedition, 
that  its  merits,  in  a  military  point  of  view,  have  never 
been  appreciated.  The  death  of  Ross,  and  the  subse- 
quent disasters  of  his  army,  have  prevented  even 
English  writers  from  doing  justice  to  the  daring,  bold- 
ness, and  effectiveness  of  that  gallant  dash  of  four 
thousand  men  into  the  very  heart  of  a  nation  of  eight 
or  ten  millions — capturing  and  destroying  their  Capitol, 
and  slowly  retiring,  bearing  away  a  large  quantity  of 
spoils,  and  encamping  in  the  midst  of  a  country  which 
swarmed  with  partisan  soldiery,  composed  of  men  who 
were  personally  as  brave  as  any  in  the  world,  but  whoso 
leaders  and  chiefs  were  mainly  of  that  class  which  is  so 
justly  the  subject  of  burlesque,  ridicule  and  distrust— 
militia  officers — a  class  made  up  chiefly  of  saddlebag 


84:  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

lawyers — the  keepers  of  cross-roads  groceries,  and  ex- 
pectant members  of  Congress,  who  are  elected  in  time 
of  peace  pretty  much  on  the  principle  embodied  in  the 
celebrated  sarcasm  of  Pitt,  in  his  amendment  to  the 
proposition  that  the  militia  of  Great  Britain  should  never 
be  ordered  out  of  the  country,  "  except,"  Pitt  added, 
"  in  case  of  invasion."  It  was  by  the  gross  and  palpa- 
ble inefficiency  of  the  superior  officers,  and  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, and  the  absence  of  a  leader,  that  those  stains 
were  inflicted  upon  our  national  escutcheon,  which 
could  only  be  obliterated  by  the  heroic  valor  of  a  Jack- 
son, and  expiated  by  the  bloody  sacrifice  on  the  Plains 
of  Chalmette ! 

The  merit,  and  but  little  of  the  infamy  of  the  expedi- 
tion to  Washington,  were  due  to  General  Ross.  He 
was  a  very  gallant  and  successful  officer,  who  possessed, 
to  a  remarkable  degree,  the  confidence  of  his  superiors 
and  inferiors  in  the  army.  In  the  Peninsular  war,  he 
was  distinguished  for  his  activity,  daring  and  steadiness. 
No  man  could  hold  a  column  of  men  better  in  hand, 
and  manoeuvre  them  with  more  coolness  undei  fire. 
Besides  his  military  qualities,  Ross  was  a  generous, 
high-toned  and  kind-hearted  gentleman.  His  soul  re- 
volted at  the  outrages  which  his  Government  had 
commanded  him  to  inflict  on  the  Americans,  and  he 
cheerfully  transferred  to  that  willing  and  fit  instrument, 
in  deeds  of  barbarism  and  atrocity,  Admiral  Cockburn, 
the  direction  of  that  desolation,  by  which  the  British 
Ministry  had  commanded  him  to  mark  his  course,  along 
the  sparsely  settled  and  undefended  shores  of  Virginia 
and  Maryland. 

The  circumstances  of  Ross'  death  were  very  impres- 
sive, and  to  the  British  disheartening.  He  was  advanc- 


THE   BRITISH   REVIEW   AND   EMBARKATION.  85 

ing  upon  Baltimore,  along  the  banks  of  the  Petapsco, 
with  the  same  army,  somewhat  augmented  in  strength 
and  numbers,  with  which  he  had  fought  at  Bladensburg 
and  captured  Washington,  when  his  advance  and  flank- 
ing companies  became  engaged  with  some  of  the  light 
infantry  of  the  brigade  of  the  American  General  Stry- 
ker.  Capt.  Aisquith,  of  the  Baltimore  Sharp-Shoot- 
ers, a  corps  which  still  exists  in  that  city,  so  famous  for 
the  efficiency  and  brilliancy  of  its  volunteer  military, 
had  been  thrown  forward  by  Stryker  to  reconnoitre  on 
the  very  road  which  Ross  was  pursuing.  The  Sharp- 
Shooters  having  scattered  in  small  squads  on  either  side 
of  the  road,  became  engaged  with  the  British  flank 
patrols,  and  quite  a  brisk  firing  ensued. 

Ross  immediately  rode  to  the  front  to  observe  the 
character  of  the  attack,  and  had  reached  the  most  ad- 
vanced party  of  his  skirmishers,  accompanied  by  his 
aid,  Major  McDougal,  when  suddenly,  as  they  reached 
the  top  of  a  slight  hill  in  the  road,  two  of  Aisquith's 
Sharp-Shooters,  H.  G.  McComas  and,  Daniel  Wells, 
appeared  before  them,  and  coolly  levelling  their  rifles, 
fired  at  the  British,  Ross  was  struck  in  the  side  and  fell 
into  the  arms  of  his  aid,  who  lifted  the  wounded  General 
from  his  horse  and  laid  him  under  a  tree  by  the  side  of 
the  road.  The  General's  horse,  released  from  restraint, 
galloped  wildly  to  the  rear,  carrying  in  his  terrified 
aspect  and  blood-stained  saddle  the  sad  tidings  to  the 
British  troops,  who  pressed  forward  in  quick  time,  full 
of  apprehension  and  grief.  As  soon  as  they  perceived 
their  General  fall,  the  British  skirmishers  rushed  to  the 
front  and  avenged  his  death  by  killing  the  two  Sharp 
Shooters, — who  met  their  fate  like  men,  and  were  over- 
whelmed by  superior  numbers  whilst  gallantly  fighting. 


86  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

They  were  honest,  patriotic  mechanics  of  Baltimore,— 
a  class  of  men  who  give  such  efficiency  to  the  Volunteer 
corps  of  the  United  States.  The  grateful  citizens  of  the 
"  monumental  city "  have  erected  a  handsome  monu- 
ment commemorative  of  the  defence  of  the  city,  on 
which  are  inscribed  the  names  of  the  two  heroic  volun- 
teers, who  thus  fell,  after  avenging  upon  the  British 
leader,  the  indignities  and  barbarous  outrage  commit- 
ted by  the  army  under  his  command.  Their  exploit 
was  a  gallant  and  daring  one.  Subsequent  events  will 
show  how  important  it  was  in  its  consequences. 

There  on  the  same  road,  separated  by  a  distance  of 
two  hundred  yards,  lay  the  bodies  of  the  British  General 
who  had  fallen  in  an  expedition  to  lay  waste  the  country 
and  destroy  the  lives  of  a  free  people,  who  had  done 
him  or  his  nation  no  wrong, — and  those  of  his  destroyers 
who  had  risked  and  lost  their  lives  in  defence  of  their 
honor  and  the  honor  of  their  country.  The  British 
soldiers,  as  they  passed  the  corpse  of  their  dead  General, 
ittered  many  a  deep  groan  of  real  sorrow ;  whilst  the 
bodies  of  the  gallant  American  mechanics  were  spurned 
and  cursed,  as  if  they  had  not,  but  a  few  moments  be- 
fore, been  the  tenements  of  nobler  souls  and  higher 
virtues,  than  even  those  which  were  embodied  in  their 
gallant  young  chief,  now  a  gory  corpse,  a  sad  sacrifice 
to  Moloch. 

The  British  were  greatly  disheartened  by  the  loss  of 
their  chief.  He  left  no  officer  who  could  fill  his  place 
in  the  hearts  and  confidence  of  the  army.  Colonel 
Brook,  of  'the  Fourth,  a  gallant  man  and  good  com- 
mander of  a  battalion,  but  unused  to  the  direction  and 
contrpl  of  a  large  force,  succeeded  to  the  command. 
After  a  pretty  severe  action  with  a  detachment  of  the 


THE   BRITISH   REVIEW   AND   EMBARKATION.  87 

Americans,  and  some  slight  successes,  the  British  Com- 
mander discovered  that  the  further  advance  of  his  army 
was  rendered  impracticable,  and  having  consulted  with 
Sir  Alexander  Cochrane,  Commander  of  the  Squadron, 
he  determined  to  withdraw  the  army  to  the  fleet.  This 
was  done  in  such  good  order  and  with  so  much  secrecy, 
that  before  the  Americans  could  learn  anything  of  their 
movements,  they  had  gained  their  fleet  and  disappeared 
from  the  coast,  which  they  had  kept  for  several  weeks 
in  a  state  of  continual  terror  and  distress.  Whither  had 
they  gone?  For  what  purpose  had  they  come?  It 
appeared,  certainly,  to  be  a  wild,  reckless,  thoughtless 
enterprise,  thus  to  penetrate  the  very  centre  of  a  nation 
of  nine  millions  of  people,  with  four  thousand  troops, 
who,  during  the  greater  part  of  their  operations,  were 
cut  off  from  communication  with  their  squadron. 
What  glory,  what  advantages,  what  political  objects 
could  be  gained  by  such  an  enterprise  ? 

The  idea  that  it  was  prompted  by  a  mere  spirit  of 
revenge,  by  a  reckless  purpose  of  inflicting  an  indignity 
upon  a  hostile  nation,  would  not  comport  with  the  prac- 
tical judgment  and  good  sense,  which,  more  than  passion 
or  a  love  of  military  glory,  usually  characterize  the  plans 
and  orders  of  the  British  Government.  Subsequent 
events  will  afford  the  key  of  this  expedition,  and  show 
that  the  attacks  upon  Washington  and  Baltimore  were 
mere  diversions — blinds  for  a  more  important  and 
apparently  more  practicable  design. 

James,  in  his  naval  history  of  Great  Britain,  says :  "In 
our  account  of  the  unfortunate  demonstration  before 
the  city  of  Baltimore,  we  mentioned  as  one  cause  of  the 
abandonment  of  the  enterprise  and  the  tepidness  with 
which  it  had  been  conducted,  an  ulterior  object  in  the 


88  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

view  of  the  Naval  Command er-in-Chief.  That  ulterio* 
object  was  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  the  capital  of  the 
State  of  Louisiana."*  Confirmatory  of  this  view,  we 
may  mention  the  fact,  that  the  force  which  left  Plymouth 
on  the  18th  of  September,  under  General  Keane,  em- 
barked about  the  same  time  the  British  were  retiring 
to  the  fleet  from  before  Baltimore,  for  the  same  rendez- 
vous for  which  the  squadron,  having  Brook's  command 
on  board,  shaped  its  sails. 

The  attack  on  Baltimore  was  no  doubt  prompted  by 
the  hope  of  capturing,  in  that  port,  a  large  number  of 
small  vessels,  for  which  Sir  Alexander  Cochrane  had 
great  need  in  the  execution  of  his  "  ulterior  design." 
This  eifort  was  gallantly  and  effectively  thwarted  by  the 
vigorous  defence  of  North  Point  and  Fort  McIIenry. 

The  fleet  with  Brooks'  army  sailed  out  of  the  Chesa- 
peake on  the  4th  of  October,  1814.  Giving  out  that  he 
was  bound  for  Halifax,  Sir  Alexander  Cochrane  in  the 
Tonnaut,  and  with  the  greater  part  of  the  squadron,  set 
sail  in  a  northern  direction.  His  real  purpose  was  to 
effect  a  junction  with  the  squadron,  which  was  bearing 
Keane's  command  from  England.  Meantime,  the  ships 
having  on  board  the  army  of  the  Chesapeake,  proceeded 
in  a  Southern  course  towards  Jamaica. 

This  army  was  composed  of  very  choice  troops. 
There  was  the  Fourth,  or  "  King's  Own,"  a  very  gal- 
lant and  distinguished  regiment;  the  Forty-fourth, 
which  had  borne  itself  with  great  steadiness  in  Egypt, 
and  in  some  of  the  most  trying  scenes  of  the  Peninsular 
"War ;  the  Eighty-fifth,  a  light-infantry  regiment,  com- 
manded by  one  of  „  the  most  distinguished  light-infantry 

*  Jame»'  Naval  History  of  Great  Britain,  vol.  7,  page  355. 


THE   BRITISH   REVIBrtV   AND   EMBAKKATION.  89 

officers  in  the  British  service,  Col.  Win.  Thornton,  who 
won  more  laurels  and  received  more  wounds,  in  the 
British  operations  in  the  South  than  any  other  officer  in 
the  army,  and  who,  at  the  time  the  army  sailed  out  of 
the  Chesapeake,  was  suffering  from  a  severe  wound 
received  at  the  battle  of  Bladensburg. 

The  Fourth,  Forty-fourth,  and  Eighty-fifth,  having 
passed  through  the  Peninsular  campaign,  embarked  at 
Bordeaux  on  the  2d  of  June,  1814,  for  America,  and 
touching  at  Bermuda,  were  joined  by  the  Twenty -first, 
the  North  British  Fusileers.  These,  with  a  battalion  of 
marines  and  a  strong  body  of  artillerists  and  sappers  and 
miners  constituted  the  army,  which  Ross  led  against 
Washington  and  Baltimore,  the  remains  of  which  sailed 
for  the  West  Indies  in  the  beginning  of  October,  1814. 

The  squadron  arrived  safely  at  Jamaica,  and  not 
many  days  after,  the  troops  were  joined  by  those  which 
had  been  sent  from  Plymouth. 

The  tropical  sun  shone  upon  a  brilliant  and  animated 
scene  in  the  bay  of  Negril,  in  the  island  of  Jamaica,  on 
24th  November,  1814.  That  was  the  day  appointed  for 
a  general  review  of  the  troops  and  ships,  which  Great 
Britain  had  so  mysteriously  assembled  in  this  remote 
quarter  of  the  globe.  It  was  a  grand  display  of  naval 
and  military  power.  Two  large  squadrons  had  been 
combined — those  of  Cochrane  and  Malcolm.  The  bay 
was  crowded  with  every  description  of  sailing  craft, 
from  huge  three-deckers  to  little  pinnaces.  Rarely,  if 
ever,  has  Great  Britain  collected  a  braver  or  more 
powerful  fleet.  It  was  commanded,  too,  by  chiefs, 
whose  valor  had  built  up  for  England  those  impregnable 
wooden  walls  which  enabled  her  to  defy  the  conqueror 
of  Europe.  An  enumeration  of  this  fleet  will  confirm 


90  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

our  estimate  of  its  strength,  and  serve  to  rescue  from 
oblivion,  one  of  the  series  of  proofs  of  the  great  import- 
ance attached  to  the  expedition,  in  which  it  was  em- 
ployed, and  of  the  gigantic  preparations  by  which  the 
British  Ministry  had  nearly  justified  the  confident  boast 
of  Castelreagh. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  ships,  the  number 
of  their  guns,  and  their  commanders,  which  rendezvoused 
at  Negril  bay,  under  Sir  Alexander  Cochrane,  on  the 
24th  November,  1814. 

Tonnant,-  80  guns,  Vice- Admiral  Sir  Alexander  Coch- 
rane, Rear-Admiral  Sir  Edward  Codrington,  Captain 
Kerr ;  Royal  Oak,  74  guns,  Rear- Admiral  Malcolm, 
Captain  Wroot ;  Norge,  74  guns,  Captain  Dashford ; 
Bedford,  74  guns,  Captain  Walker  ;  Ramilies,  74  guns, 
Sir  Thomas  Hardy  ;  Asia,  74  guns,  Captain  Skeens ; 
Dictator,  56  guns,  Captain  Crofton ;  Diomede,  50  guns, 
Captain  Kippen  ;  Gorgon  (s.  s.),  44  guns,  Captain  R.  B. 
Bowden ;  Annide,  33  guns,  Sir  Thomas  Trowbridge ; 
Seahorse,  35  guns,  Captain  James  Alexander  Gordon ; 
Belle  Poule,  38  guns,  Captain  Baker ;  Traave,  38  guns, 
Captain  Money ;  "Wever,  38  guns,  Captain  Sullivan ; 
Alceste,  38  guns,  Captain  Lawrence ;  Hydra,  38  guns, 
Captain  Dezey ;  Fox,  36  guns,  Captain  Willock  ;  Cad- 
mus, 36  guns,  Captain  Langford;  Thames,  32  guns, 
Captain  Hon.  C.  L.  Irby ;  Dover,  32  guns,  Captain 
Rogers ;  Bucephalus,  32  guns,  Captain  D'Aith ;  Calli- 
ope, 16  guns,  Captain  Codd ;  Anaconda,  16  guns,  West- 
phall ;  Borer,  14  guns,  Raulins ;  Manly,  14  guns,  Loche ; 
Meteor  (bomb),  6  guns,  Roberts;  Yolcano  (bomb),  6 
guns,  Price  ;  JEtna  (bomb),  16  guns,  Gardner ;  Pigmy, 
schooner,  6  guns,  Jackson ;  Jane  (cutter),  Speedwell, 
schooner. 


THE   BRITISH   REVIEW   AND   EMBARKATION.  91 

There  were  also  the  following  transports :  Norfolk, 
Golden  Fleece,  Thames,  Diana,  Woodman,  Active, 
Cyrus,  Elizabeth,  Kah,  Daniel  Woodruffe,  and  George. 
Such  was  the  squadron  which,  by  great  diligence,  Sir 
Alexander  Cochrane  had  collected  to  desolate  the  shores 
of  America.  It  consisted  of  at  least  fifty  sail,  carrying 
more  than  a  thousand  guns.  The  officers  of  the  squad- 
rons were  the  very  elite  of  the  British  navy.  Associated 
with  the  silver-haired  veterans,  Yice- Admiral  Cochrane, 
and  Rear- Admiral  Malcolm,  were  several  officers  who 
had  achieved  world-wide  reputations.  Among  these 
was  Sir  Thomas  Hardy,  in  whose  arms  Nelson  died  at 
Trafalgar,  and  to  whom  he  addressed  those  remarkable 
words —  "  Kiss  me,  Hardy  ;  I  die  content ;"  Sir  Thomas 
Trowbridge,  an  officer  who  had  displayed  great  ability 
and  gallantry  in  many  brilliant  actions ;  Captain  (after- 
wards Sir)  James  Alexander  Gordon,  a  cork-leg,  sturdy 
sailor,  who,  with  his  famous  frigate,  the  Sea-horse,  is 
even  now  remembered  with  awe  and  terror  on  the  banks 
of  the  Potomac,  for  his  daring  and  skill.  Rear- Admiral 
Codrington,  then  regarded  as  the  most  promising  officer 
in  the  British  navy,  who,  though  in  the  meridian  of  life, 
had  reached  the  high  post  of  Rear- Admiral,  and  after- 
wards became  famous  as  the  commander  of  the  allied 
fleet  at  Navarino — an  affair  too  inglorious  in  its  aims 
and  motives  to  reflect  any  distinction  upon  those  engaged 
in  it. 

But  as,  after  all,  the  chief  duty  and  responsibility  of 
the  expedition  devolved  upon  the  army,  we  must  en- 
deavor to  be  as  exact  as  possible  in  the  enumeration  of 
its  force. 

The  following  returns,  as  published  in  the  English 
and  Jamaica  journals  of  the  day,  and,  in  some  cases, 


92  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

obtained  from  the  muster-rolls,  exhibit  in  round  numbers 
the  strength  of  the  British  army  in  this  enterprise. 
The  army  of  the  Chesapeake  counted  as  follows  : 

4th  Rc^'ment  Foot,  Colonel  Brook,  600 

21st  Eoyal  North  British  Fusiliers,  Lieut.  Colonel  Patterson,  800 

85th  Buck  Volunteers,  Light  Infantry,  Col.  Wm.  Thornton,  600 

44th  East  Essex  Foot,  Lieut.  Colonel  Hon.  Thos.  Mullens,  600 

Artillery,  Sappers  and  Miners,  &o.  500 

Total,  3,100 

The  reinforcements  brought  by  Gen.  Keane  were  as 
follows : 

93d  Highlanders,  Lieut.  Colonel  Dale,  1,000 

6  Companies  of  95th  Rifles,  Major  Mitchell,  600 

1st  "West  India  Regiment,  Lieut.  Colonel  Whitby,  800 

6th  "West  India  Regiment,  Lieut.  Colonel  Hamilton,  800 

14th  Duchess  of  York's  Light  Dragoons,  Colonel  Baker,  390 

Artillery,  Rocket  Brigade,  Sappers,  Engineers,  &c.  800 

Total,  4,350 

Grand  total  of  Keane's  army,  7,450 

To  this  considerable  force  the  squadron  were  able  to 
contribute  at  least  fifteen  hundred  marines  and  sailors, 
who  could  do  good  service  on  land. 

On  the  26th  of  November,  1814,  the  squadron,  having 
on  board  this  large  and  well-appointed  army,  sailed  out 
of  Negril  Bay,  and  directed  its  course  towards  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico. 

The  news  of  the  gathering  of  ships  and  troops  at 
Negril  Bay  had  reached  the  United  States  shortly  after 
the  departure  of  the  fleet.  Its  destination  was  generally 
believed  to  be  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  intelligence 


THE   BRITISH   EEVIEW   AND    EMBARKATION.  93 

furnished  by  Lafitte  was  the  chief  reliance  for  this  belief. 
That  the  design  had  been  kept  very  quiet  and  secret  is 
satisfactorily  shown  by  the  brief  period  of  time  elapsing 
between  the  departure  of  Cochrane's  squadron  and  the 
commencement  of  Gen.  Jackson's  defensive  prepara- 
tions. \V  hen  Jackson  reached  New  Orleans,  the  British 
fleet  had  completed  half  of  the  voyage  to  the  Gulf 
coast,  and  only  four  days  thereafter  the  Tonnant,  the 
Yice  Admiral's  flag-ship,  was  reported  off  the  coast  of 
Florida. 

Never  did  a  fleet  and  army  proceed  towards  their 
destination  with  higher  hopes  and  in  better  spirits  than 
the  British  expedition  for  New  Orleans.  So  confident 
were  they  of  success  that  a  full  set  of  civil  officers  to 
conduct  the  government -of  the  Territory  accompanied 
the  army.  There  was  also  a  government  editor  and 
printing  press,  to  expound  the  policy  and  publish  the 
orders  and  proceedings  of  the  new  government.  There 
were  many  merchant  ships  in  the  squadron,  which  had 
been  chartered  expressly  to  bear  away  the  rich  spoil 
that  was  expected  to  reward  their  capture  and  occupa- 
tion of  the  city.  It  was  indeed  regarded  an  expedition 
to  occupy,  rather  than  invade  a  defenceless  country,  as 
a  pleasure  party  and  speculative  adventure  more  than  a 
serious  warlike  enterprise.  Hence  the  festivity  and 
high-hearted  jollity  which  enlivened  the  crowded  decks 
of  the  British  war  vessels  and  transports,  as  they  moved 
majestically  over  the  calm  water  of  the  Gulf. 

Music,  dancing,  and  even  dramatic  entertainments, 
aided  by  the  wives  of  the  officers,  who  in  considerable 
numbers  accompanied  the  expedition,  varied  the  mo- 
notony of  the  voyage,  whose  termination  was  looked 
forward  to  as  an  appropriate  conclusion  of  the  prevail- 


94:  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

ing  gaiety,  as  a  grand  national  jubilee  when  the  banner 
of  old  England  would  be  planted  on  the  soil  which 
France,  Spain,  and  the  United  States  had  been  unable 
to  hold  and  defend,  and  when  her  gallant  soldiers,  the 
hardy  and  scarred  veterans  of  the  Peninsula,  might  rest 
from  their  long  fatigues  and  perils,  and  revel  in  the 
wealth,  luxury,  and  abundance  of  the  Queen  City  of 
"  the  sunny  South." 

Among  the  fair  participants  in  these  festivities  and 
hopes  was  the  noble  and  accomplished  lady  of  an  officer 
commanding  a  veteran  and  distinguished  regiment  in 
the  expedition,  the  Hon.  Mrs.  Mullens,  who  abandoned 
the  luxuries  and  comforts  of  an  aristocratic  home  to 
share  the  glory  and  trials  of  her  husband.  The  object 
of  such  devotion  will  surely  prove  worthy  of  it,  and 
bear  his  part  nobly  in  the  coming  struggle.  There,  too, 
in  that  gay  and  hopeful  crowd  were  the  buxom  daugh- 
ters, five  in  number,  of  one  of  the  civil  officials  of  the 
conquered  colony,  who  had  vacated  a  profitable' office  in 
Bermuda  to  try  his  fortunes  in  a  new  country,  where 
his  daughters  might  display  their  charms  in  a  new 
sphere,  in  which  females  of  the  Saxon  style  of  beauty 
and  accomplishments  were  too  rare  not  to  be  highly 
admired  and  appreciated. 

Such  were  some  of  the  hopes  of  that  gay  and  sanguine* 
expedition. 


95 


BATTLE   OF   LAKE   BORGNE. 

A  FIERCE  storm  on  the  9th  of  December,  1814,  greeted 
the  first  appearance  of  the  British  fleet  off  the  coast  of 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  To  minds  less  buoyant  and  confi- 
dent, than  those  of  the  sanguine  and  hitherto  irresistible 
veterans  of  that  gallant  array  of  naval  and  military 
power,  this  occurrence  might  have  appeared  as  an  evil 
augury.  Soon,  however,  the  storrn  lulled,  the  clouds 
passed  quickly  away,  and  the  bright  sun  came  forth  to 
cheer  the  hearts  of  the  crowded  crews.  A  favorable 
wind  bears  the  squadron  rapidly  onward,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  entrance  of  Lake  Borgne.  The  huge  Ton- 
nant,  the  same  which  was  captured  at  Abouquir  in 
Nelson's  great  fight,  after  the  gallant  Dupetit  Thouars 
had  flooded  her  decks  with  his  noble  blood, flowing  from 
a  dozen  wounds,*  now  commanded  by  the  white-haired 
British  Yice- Admiral,  and  the  gallant  Sea-horse,  with 
her  cork-legged  Captain,  lead  the  van.  Behind  follow 
the  long  train  of  every  variety  of  sailing  craft,  from  the 

*  Lamartlne  has  an  appalling  description  of  this  tragedy,  he  says ;  '•  Captain  Dupe- 
til  Thouars  commanding  the  Tonnant  never  slackened  his  flre  for  a  moment  at  sight 
of  this  disaster  (the  burning  of  L'Orient.)  He  no  longer  fought  for  glory  or  life,  but 
for  immortality.  One  arm  carried  off  by  a  cannon  shot,  both  legs  broken  by  grape,  he 
called  upon  his  crew  to  swear  never  to  strike  his  flags  and  to  throw  his  body  overboard, 
that  even  hi*  remain*  might  not  become  captive  to  the  British." 


96  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

great  ships  of  war,  with  their  frowning  batteries,  to  the 
little  trim  sloops  and  schooners  of  fifteen  or  twenty  tons, 
designed  to  penetrate  the  bays  and  inlets  of  the  coast. 
The  pilots,  who  have  accompanied  the  fleets  from  the 
West  Indies,  have  announced  that  land  is  not  far  off, 
and  all  parties  are  on  deck,  eagerly  straining  their  eyes 
for  a  view  of  the  desired  shore.  There,  in  the  distance, 
they  soon  discover  a  long,. shining,  white  line,  which 
sparkles  in  the  sun  like  an  island  of  fire.  Presently  it 
becomes  more  distinct  and  substantial,  and  the  man  at 
the  look-out  proclaims  "  land  ahead."  The  leading 
ships  approach  as  near  as  is  prudent,  and  their  crews, 
especially  the  land  troops,  experience  no  little  disap- 
pointment at  the  bleak  and  forbidding  aspect  of  Dau- 
phiue  island,  with  its  long,  sandy  beach,  its  dreary, 
stunted  pines,  and  the  entire  absence  of  any  vestige  of 
settlement  or  cultivation.  Turning  to  the  west,  the  fleet 
avoids  the  island,  and  proceeds  towards  a  favorable  an- 
chorage in  the  direction  of  the  Chandeleur  islands,  the 
wind  in  the  meantime  having  chopped  around,  and 
blowing  too  strong  from  the  shore  to  justify  an  attempt 
to  enter  the  lake  at  night. 

As  the  Tonnant  and  Sea-horse  pass  near  to  Dauphine 
Island,  the  attention  of  the  Yice- Admiral  is  called  to 
two  small  vessels,  lying  within  the  island,  near  the 
shore.  They  are  neat  little  craft,  sloop-rigged,  and 
evidently  armed.  They  appear  to  be  watching  the 
movements  of  the  British  ships,  and  when  the  latter  take 
a  western  course,  they  weigh  anchor  and  follow  in  the 
same  direction.  At  night-fall  the  signal  "  to  anchor"  is 
made  from  the  Tonnant,  and  the  order  is  quickly  obeyed 
by  all  the  vessels  in  the  squadron. 

The  suspicious  little  sloops,  as  if  in  apprehension  of  a 


BATTLE  OF  LAKE  BORGNE.  97 

night  attack  of  boats,  then  press  all  sail  and  proceed  in 
the  direction  of  Biloxi  Bay.  They  prove  to  be  the 
United  States  gun-boats  No.  23,  Lieutenant  McKeever, 
(now  Commodore  McKeever),  No.  163,  Sailing- Master 
Ulrick,  which  had  been  detached  from  the  squadron  of 
Lieutenant  T.  Ap  Catesby  Jones  (now  Commodore 
Jones),  who  had  been  sent  by  Commodore  Patterson, 
with  six  gun-boats,  one  tender,  and  a  dispatch-boat,  to 
watch  and  report  the  approach  of  the  British.  In  case 
their  fleet  succeeded  in  entering  the  lake,  he  was  to  be 
prepared  to  cut  off  their  barges  and  prevent  the  landing 
of  troops.  If  hard  pressed  by  a  superior  force,  his 
orders  were  to  fall  back  upon  a  mud  fort,  the  Petites 
Coquilles,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Rigolets,  and  shelter 
his  vessels  under  its  guns. 

The  two  boats  which  had  attracted  the  notice  of  the 
British  Vice- Admiral,  joined  the  others  of  the  squadr  T. 
that  night  near  Biloxi.  The  next  day,  the  10th  • 
December,  at  dawn,  as  soon  as  the  fog  cleared  off,  Jones 
was  amazed  to  observe  the  deep  water  between  Ship  and 
Cat  Islands,  where  the  current  flows,  crowded  with  ships 
and  vessels  of  every  calibre  and  description.  The  Ton- 
nant  having  anchored  off  the  Chandeleurs,  the  Sea-horse 
was  now  the  foremost  ship.  Jones  immediately  made 
for  Pass  Christian  with  his  little  fleet,  where  he  anchor- 
ed, and -quietly  awaited  the  approach  of  the  British 
vessels. 

In  compact  and  regular  order,  the  fleet  moved  slowly 
through  the  passage  between  Cat  and  Ship  Islands,  and 
along  the  east  coast  of  the  former  island,  presenting, 
under  a  bright  sun  and  cloudless  sky,  a  most  impressive 
marine  panorama.  Soon,  however,  the  soundings  warn- 
ed the  British  that  they  were  getting  into  shallow  water, 

6 


98  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

and  the  line-of-battle  ships  came  to  anchor.  They  were 
now,  however,  safe  within  American  waters,  in  Lake 
Borgne ;  and  preparations  were  actively  commenced  to 
relieve  the  ships  of  the  impatient  and  restless  mass  of 
belligerent  mortality  with  which  they  were  crowded. 
The  troops  were  therefore  embarked  on  the  transports 
and  smaller  vessels.  Before,  however,  the  landing  could 
be  attempted,  it  was  necessary  to  clear  the  lake  of  the 
agile  and  well-managed  little  boats,  which  hovered  in 
their  front,  and  appeared  ready  to  pounce  down  on  any 
smaller  craft  that  might  trust  themselves  too  far  from 
the  shelter  of  the  batteries  of  the  ships  of  the  line. 

Vice- Admiral  Cochrane,  who  directed  all  the  move- 
ments relating  to  the  landing  of  the  troops,  proceeded 
to  organize  an  expedition  of  barges  to  attack  and  destroy 
the  gun-boats.  The  command  of  this  enterprise  was 
confided  to  Capt.  Lockyer,  who  was  presumed  to  be 
better  acquainted  with  the  coast  than  any  other  officer, 
and  is  the  same  person,  with  whom  Lafitte  had  an  inter- 
view on  the  second  of  September,  1814.  Captain  Lock- 
ver  had  also  commanded  one  of  the  sloops  in  the  attack 
of  Fort  Bowyer,  and,  no  doubt,  panted  for  an  opportu- 
nity of  wiping  from  the  escutcheon  of  the  British  Navy 
the  disgrace  of  that  defeat.  All  the  launches,  barges 
and  pinnaces  of  the  fleet  were  collected  together.  The 
barges  had  been  made  expressly  for  this  expedition,  and 
were  nearly  as  large  as  Jones'  gun-boats,  each  carrying 
eighty  men.  To  these  were  added  the  gigs  of  the  Ton- 
nant  and  Sea-horse.  There  were  forty  launches,  mount- 
ing each  one  carronade  12, 18  or  24  calibre ;  one  launch, 
with  one  long  brass  pounder ;  another  with  a  brass  nine- 
pounder  ;  and  three  gigs,  with  small  arms.  There  were, 
therefore,  in  all,  forty-five  boats  and  forty-two  cannon, 


BATTLE  OF  LAKE  BORGNE.  VV 

manned  by  a  thousand  sailors  and  marines,  picked  from 
the  crews  of  the  ships. 

Captain  Lockyer  was  ably  seconded  in  the  organiza- 
tion and  direction  of  this  formidable  fleet  by  his  subor- 
dinates, Montressor,  of  the  Manly,  and  Roberts,  of  the 
Meteor,  both  veteran  and  experienced  officers. 

On  the  evening  of  the  12th  the  flotilla  moved  in  beau- 
tiful order,  from  the  anchorage  of  the  squadron  near 
Ship  Island,  in  the  direction  of  Pass  Christian.  It  con- 
sisted of  three  divisions  under  the  three  officers  named. 
Gallantly,  and  in  perfect  line,  these  divisions  advanced 
along  the  white  shores  of  the  Mississippi  territory  for  a 
distance  of  thirty-six  miles,  the  boats  being  rowed  by 
the  hardy  sailors,  without  resting. 

"When  morning  broke  on  the  13th,  the  flotilla  had 
arrived  near  the  Bay  of  St.  Louis,  whither  three  of  the 
barges  were  detached,  to  capture  the  small  schooner 
Sea-horse,  which  Jones  had  sent  into  the  bay,  for  the 
purpose  of  removing  some  stores  deposited  there. 

As  soon  as  the  barges  came  within  range  of  her  guns, 
the  Sea-horse  opened  upon  them  a  well-directed  and 
effective  fire.  At  the  same  time  two  six  pounders, 
placed  in  battery  on  the  shore,  followed  up  the  discharge 
of  the  Sea-horse,  and  striking  the  barges,  wounded  sev- 
eral of  the  men.  The  barges  then  drew  off  towards  the 
main  body  of  the  flotilla,  when,  thinking  they  had  retired 
for  reinforcements,  and  apprehending  a  renewal  of  the 
attack  by  the  whole  force  of  Lockyer,  the  captain  of 
the  Sea-horse  blew  her  up,  and  set  fire  to  the  stores  on 
shore,  which  were  entirely  destroyed. 

But  the  British  commander  had  no  idea  of  diverting 
his  energies  from  the  serious  task  before  him.  The 


J.OO          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

staunch  little  gun-boats  lay  just  ahead  in  battle  array, 
as  if  inviting  rather  than  avoiding  the  combat. 

It  is  due,  however,  to  Jones'  reputation  as  a  good 
officer,  to  add,  that  he  had  attempted  to  obey  Patterson's 
order,  and  fall  back  to  the  fort  at  Petit  Coquilles.  In 
vain  he  tried  to  beat  into  the  Rigolets,  against  the  strong 
current  of  that  strait.  Finally,  his  vessels  were  carried 
into  the  narrow  channel  between  Malheureux  Island 
and  Point  Clear  on  the  main  land. 

There  they  became  unmanageable,  several  of  the  ves- 
sels sticking  fast  in  the  mud.  Then  Jones  resolved  to 
bide  the  issue  of  a  fight. 

At  daylight  on  the  14rth,  the  flotilla  could  be  seen  at 
anchor  nine  miles  off'.  The  men  were  refreshing  them- 
selves after  their  severe  rowing.  Jones  called  aboard 
of  his  flag-ship,  a  little  sloop  of  eighty  tons,  all  the  offi- 
cers of  his  Lilliputian  squadron,  and  addressing  them  in 
the  style  of  a  blunt,  sturdy  sailor,  gave  them  their  seve- 
ral commands,  and  prepared  for  a  vigorous  resistance. 
His  officers  were  all  young  men,  full  of  courage,  vigor, 
and  activity.  His  orders  were  to  form  with  their  boats 
a  close  line  abreast  across  the  channel,  anchored  by  the 
stern,  with  springs  on  their  cables.  At  a  given  signal 
they  were  to  open  upon  the  enemy  with  their  long  guns, 
and  when  the  barges  closed  upon  them,  they  were  to 
ply  their  musketry  with  all  their  activity. 

The  squadron  consisted  of  the  following  gun-boats : 
!N\>.  5,  with  five  guns  and  thirty-six  men,  commanded 
by  sailing-master,  John  D.  Ferris  ;  gun-boat  No,  23, 
with  five  guns  and  thirty-nine  men,  under  Lieutenant 
(now  commodore)  Isaac  McKeever  ;  gun-boat,  'No.  156, 
with  five  guns  and  forty-one  men,  under  Lieutenant 


BATTLE    OF    LAKE    BORGNE.  101 

commanding  T.  Ap  Catesby  Jones;  gun- boat  No.  162, 
with  five  guns  and  thirty-five  men,  under  Lieutenant 
Robert  Spedden;  gun-boat  No.  163,  with  three  guns 
and  thirty-one  men,  under  Sailing-Master  Ulrick — total, 
five  gun-boats,  twenty-three  guns,  and  one  hundred  and 
eighty-two  men.  This  was  certainly  a  small  force  to 
repel  the  powerful  flotilla  which  was  bearing  down  upon 
them. 

The  morning  was  bright,  cool  and  bracing.  There 
was  not  a  breath  of  air  to  stir  the  surface  of  the  placid 
lake.  The  men  in  the  British  flotilla  took  their  break- 
fast as  gaily  and  pleasantly  as  if  it  were  a  sportive  occa- 
sion, and  then  stood  to  their  arms.  The  flotilla  ap- 
proached with  all  the  precision  of  soldiers  in  line ; 
Jones'  gunners  fixed  their  eyes  steadily  upon  the  im- 
posing array  of  bristling  barges,  measuring  coolly  the 
distance,  in  order  to  ascertain  when  they  might  come  in 
range  of  their  long  guns.  Just  as  the  Americans  are 
about  to  level  their  pieces,  the  flotilla  comes  to  a  grap- 
nel, and  appears  to  be  deliberating  on  the  expediency 
of  attacking  so  determined  a  little  squadron.  A  division 
of  the  barges  is  now  detached  from  the  main  line  of  the 
flotilla,  and  bears  towards  the  west.  The  object  of  this 
movement  is  understood  in  Jones'  fleet,  when  a  little 
white  speck  is  discerned  in  the  distance,  which  soon 
assumes  the  shape  of  a  small  fishing-smack.  This  proves 
to  be  the  Alligator,  a  little  tender,  armed  with  a  four- 
pounder  and  eight  men,  under  sailing-master,  Richard 
S.  Sheppard. 

The  Alligator  was  making  every  effort  to  join  Jones' 
squadron,  to  take  part  in  the  approaching  combat,  but 
the  wind  had  lulled  and  she  could  make  no  progress. 


102  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Lockyer  detached  four  boats,  with  nearly  two  hundred 
men,  under  Captain  Roberts,  to  capture  this  formidable 
ship-of-war,  with  her  eight  sailors  and  toy-gun.  It  is 
due  to  the  British  Navy  to  state  that  they  succeeded  in 
effecting  this  object  without  much  loss.  Roberts  re- 
turned to  the  flotilla  in  triumph  with  his  splendid  prize, 
and  was  received  with  three  loud  cheers.  The  stout 
sailor  could  not,  however,  suppress  a  smile  when  he 
boarded  his  capture,  and  ascertained  her  force  and 
metal.  Perhaps,  under  all  the  circumstances,  Captain 
Lockyer  may  be  excused  for  the  slight  exaggeration,  in 
his  description  of  this  little  cockle-shell  "  as  an  armed 
sloop."  But  it  is  due  to  history  to  state,  that  this  high- 
sounding  designation  has  been  conferred  on  Commodore 
Porter's  old  gig ! 

Somewhat  animated  by  this  little  achievement,  Lock- 
yer ordered  his  men  to  refresh  themselves  with  a  hearty 
meal,  adding  an  extra  allowance  of  Jamaica  rum,  to 
increase  their  appetite  for  the  .feast  and  the  fray  which 
was  to  follow.  At  half-past  ten  the  flotilla  weighed 
anchor,  and  bore  down  upon  Jones'  squadron  in  open 
order,  forming  a  line  abreast,  extending  nearly  from  the 
main  land  to  the  Malheureux  Island.  The  appearance 
of  the  flotilla,  as  the  barges  with  unbroken  front  swept 
rapidly  and  boldly  forward — the  six  oars  on  each  side 
dipping  in  the  water  with  the  regularity  of  clock-work, 
and  glittering  in  the  sunbeams  as  they  rose  and  fell — the 
red  shirts  of  the  sailors,  the  shining  muskets  of  the  ma- 
rines, and  the  formidable  carronades  which  protruded  so 
threateningly  from  the  bows  of  the  barges,  constituted 
an  impressive  spectacle,  one  well  calculated  to  try  the 
nerves  of  that  heroic  band  which  stood  on  the  decks  of 


BATTLE  OF  LAKE  BORGNE.  103 

those  little  sloops,  with  lighted  matches  and  muskets 
cocked,  ready  to  meet  quadruple  their  numbers  in  deadly 
combat. 

So  cairn  and  quiet  was  the  aspect  of  Jones'  fleet,  that 
the  British  believed  they  were  about  to  surrender  with- 
out essaying  so  vain  a  resistance  against  an  overpowering 
force.  But  they  were  soon  aroused  from  this  delusion 
by  the  booming  of  McKeever's  thirty-two  pounder,  and 
a  shower  of  grape-shot  that  carried  destruction  among 
the  flotilla,  and  seriously  disturbed  their  line.  With 
amazing  rapidity  this  gun  continued  her  fire,  and  pres- 
ently the  other  guns  of  Jones'  fleet  joined  in.  The 
barges,  though  evidently  crippled  and  damaged  by  this 
heavy  fire,  pushed  steadily  forward,  and  began  a  lively 
response  with  their  carronades.  A  brisk  firing  was  con- 
tinued for  some  time  ;  but  Lockyer  soon  perceived  that 
in  such  a  contest  the  gun-boats  had  the  advantage,  and, 
accordingly,  he  ordered  the  barges  to  close  in  and  board. 

Owing  to  the  force  of  the  current  and  the  unmanage- 
able state  of  the  boats,  Jones'  and  Ulrick's  vessels  (156 
and  163)  had  been  borne  out  of  line  one  hundred  yards 
in  advance  of  the  others — Jones'  boat  was  a  little  ahead. 
Captain  Lockyer  seeing  this,  determined  to  attack  tho 
boats  in  detail.  Breaking  his  flotilla  into  three  divisions, 
he  pressed  forward  with  the  advance,  composed  of  four 
barges  and  two  gigs,  against  the  flag-boat.  He  was  met 
by  a  most  destructive  volley  of  grape  and  musketry. 
Every  shot  appeared  to  take  effect.  Two  of  the  barges 
were  capsized,  and  the  men  were  barely  saved  from 
drowning  by  clinging  to  their  sides  until  others  could 
come  up  and  rescue  them.  Nearly  all  the  men  on  board 
these  barges  were  killed  or  wounded.  Undismayed  by 
this  awful  scene  of  destruction,  four  other  barges  pushed 


104  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

forward  and  renewed  the  attack,  and  getting  near  Jones' 
boat,  poured  upon  her  decks  an  incessant  fire  of  mus- 
ketry. 

Jones,  standing  on  the  deck  exposed  to  this  fire,  deter- 
mined to  sell  his  life  as.  dearly  as  possible,  and  singling 
out  the  officer  who  in  the  captain's  gig  appeared  to  be 
the  most  active  in  inciting  the  British  sailors  and  marines 
discharged  his  pistol  at  him,  and  the  Briton  fell  mortally 
wounded  in  the  arms  of  the  sailors.  This  officer  was 
Lieutenant  Pratt,  the  first  of  the  Sea-horse,  the  same 
who  under  the  orders  of  Admiral  Cockburn,  burnt  the 
Capitol  and  other  buildings,  at  Washington,  in  the 
summer  of  1814:. 

The  British  sought  immediate  revenge  for  the  fall  of 
their  gallant  young  officer,  and  a  dozen  muskets  were 
brought  to  bear  upon  Jones  at  once,  several  balls  passed 
through  his  clothes  and  cap, — but  one  struck  him  in 
the  shoulder,  where  it  has  remained  ever  since. 

The  wound  was  so  painful  that  he  could  not  stand  up 
under  it,  and  he  was  dragged  below  by  his  men,  crying 
out,  however,  to  Parker,  his  second  in  command,  "  Keep 
up  the  fight,  keep  up  the  fight,  keep  up  the  fight." 
Parker  shouted,  "  Aye !  aye !"  but  the  words  had  hardly 
escaped  his  lips,  when  he  was  shot  down,  and  the  Brit- 
ish now  closing  upon  the  little  boat,  clambered  up  her 
sides,  and  appeared  on  her  deck  in  such  overwhelming 
force  as  to  render  further  resistance  vain.  In  accom- 
plishing this  feat,  however,  they  had  suffered  most  griev- 
ously. Lockyer  had  received  three  wounds,  all  severe ; 
and  poor  •  Lieutenant  George  Pratt,  was  fairly  riddled 
with  balls,  yet  he  continued  to  fight  to  the  last.  The 
fighting  on  No.  156  was  now  over ;  but,  strange  to  say, 
the  stars  and  stripes  still  continued  to  wave  at  her  mast- 


BATTLE  OF  LAKE  BOEGNE.  105 

head,  and  so  remained  until  the  fighting  was  over  in  the 
other  boats.  Perhaps,  considering  the  heavy  loss  they 
had  sustained  for  so  small  a  capture,  the  British  did  not 
think  they  were  entitled  to  lower  the  American  flag. 
Indeed,  their  commander  was  too  sorely  wounded,  and 
in  too  great  pain,  to  think  of  any  further  action  after  he 
had  gained  the  decks  of  the  flag-boat,  upon  reaching 
which  he  fainted  from  loss  of  blood,  and  was  taken  be- 
low and  laid  by  the  side  of  his  gallant  antagonist. 

Meantime,  the  guns  of  Jones'  boats  were  turned  upon 
the  others,  under  the  direction  of  Lieutenant  Tatnall,  a 
gallant  and  enterprising  officer — the  same  who  had  been 
captured  by  the  French  in  a  bloody  naval  contest  a  few 
years  before — who,  escaping  from  a  French  prison  in 
the  guise  of  a  monk,  reached  the  sea-shore  of  France, 
and,  in  a  small  open  boat,  joined  the  English  fleet  in 
the  channel. 

At  the  same  time,  Captain  Montressor,  with  his  divi- 
sion of  barges,  closed  upon  Ulrick's  boat.  They  were 
held  at  bay  for  some  time,  but  being  reinforced  by  the 
other  division  under  Roberts,  soon  succeeded  in  over- 
powering the  little  vessel.  The  guns  of  these  two  boats 
were  then  concentrated  upon  the  other  gun-boats,  and 
particularly  upon  the  nearest  one,  under  Lieutenant 
Robert  Spedden;  but  that  gallant  young  officer  un- 
daunted by  the  disasters,  which  had  overtaken  his  com- 
panions, returned  this  fire  with  an  alacrity  and  vigor, 
which  drove  the  barges  to  take  shelter  behind  the  two 
boats  that  had  been  captured.  Here,  combining  and 
arranging  their  forces  into  one  powerful  division,  Mon- 
tressor and  Roberts  again  threw  themselves  upon  Sped- 
den's  little  craft,  with  more  than  a  dozen  barges,  filled 
with  several  hundred  sailors  and  marines.  Though  sur« 

5* 


106  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

rounded,  the  little  gun -boat  did  not  yield,  but  showered 
her  iron  hail  upon  the  crowded  barges  with  most  des- 
tructive vigor.  A  grape-shot  had  shattered  Spedden's 
left  arm  at  the  elbow.  Regardless  of  his  wounds,  the 
brave  young  sailor  held  his  post,  giving  orders  to  his 
men,  and  cheering  them  with  his  words,  and  with  a 
countenance  in  which  gallantry  and  heroism  conquered 
the  agony  of  a  painful  wound.  Occupying  an  exposed 
and  conspicuous  position  on  the  deck  of  the  boat,  Spedden 
became  the  target  of  the  British  marines  for  their  mus- 
ket exercise.  He  noted  particularly  one  fellow  in  the 
bow  of  the  nearest  barge,  aiming  at  him  with  the  cool- 
ness and  precision  of  a  sportsman  shooting  a  pigeon. 
He  was  a  good  marksman,  and  lodged  a  musket-ball  in 
Spedden's  shoulder  which  deprived  him  of  the  use  of 
his  right  arm. 

He  was  thus  left  without  the  use  of  either  arm.  Muti- 
lated and  covered  with  blood, — his  men  rapidly  falling 
around  him  (the  other  boats  being  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy),  this  gallant  young  man  did  not  yield  until, 
overpowered  by  numbers,  he  was  forced  below  by  the 
British,  who  rushed  upon  deck  and  took  possession  of 
the  boat.  The  guns  of  the  captured  boats  were  next 
turned  upon  Ferris's  boat,  No.  5,  with  such  effect  as  to 
dismount  her  most  effective  weapon,  a  twenty-four 
pounder;  and,  after  this,  the  barges  encountered  but 
little  difficulty  in  boarding  and  capturing  her.  Mean- 
time, McKeever,  on  ~No.  23,  kept  up  a  brisk  fire  on  the 
barges  with  his  thirty-two  pounders.  But  the  guns  of 
the  other  boats  were  all  turned  upon,  him,  and  further 
resistance  became  vain — so  he  surrendered  at  half-past 
twelve  P.M. 

Thus  closed  this  very  remarkable  and  gallant  action. 


BATTLE    OF    LAKE    BORGNE.  107 

It  was  maintained  by  both  parties  for  three  hours,  with 
great  courage  and  activity.  Both  did  their  duty  faith- 
fully. The  British,  though  numerically  and  in  metal 
vastly  superior  to  the  Americans,  were  in  open  boats, 
exposed  to  a  heavy  fire  for  some  time,  without  the  abil- 
ity to  return  it  with  effect.  They  certainly  displayed 
great  gallantry  and  determination  in  advancing  against 
such  a  fire  as  Jones  opened  upon  them.  But  the 
Americans,  too,  labored  under  great  disadvantages. 
Owing  to  the  state  of  the  tide  and  wind,  Jones's  boat 
having  become  detached  from  the  others,  the  British 
were  able  to  concentrate  upon  it  a  powerful  force,  and 
its  capture  rendered  that  of  the  others  inevitable.  The 
gun-boats  could  thus  be  attacked  in  detail.  It  was, 
therefore,  really,  when  the  close  fighting  commenced, 
a  combat  between  one  or  two  gun-boats  of  ten  guns  and 
less  than  a  hundred  men,  and  some  twenty-five  or  thirty 
barges,  with  more  than  six  hundred  men.  The  other 
boats,  in  the  meantime,  could  not  take  part  in  the  fight 
when  the, barges  closed  upon  their  companions,  as  they 
could  not  use  their  guns.  Having  captured  two  of  the 
gun-boats,  the  British  could  turn  their  own  guns  on  the 
remaining  ones,  which  lay  entirely  at  their  mercy. 

The  results  will  show  how  severe  and  gallant  an  ac- 
tion it  was.  The  Americans  lost,  in  killed  and  wounded, 
about  one-third  their  number.  Among  the  wounded 
were  Jones,  Spedden,  McKeever  and  Parker.  The 
British  loss  was  much  more  severe.  Thirteen  British 
ships  of  war  were  represented  in  the  ghastly  heap  of 
killed  and  wounded  that  were  strewn  upon  the  decks  of 
the  gun-boats,  after  this  severe  action.  Of  these,  three 
midshipmen,  thirteen  seamen,  and  one  marine  were 
reported  dead ;  and  one  captain,  four  lieutenants,  one 


108          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

lieutenant  of  marines,  three  master-mates,  seven  mid- 
shipmen, fifty  seamen,  and  eleven  marines  were  wound- 
ed. Many  of  the  wounded  died  before  they  got  to  the 
squadron,  and  not  a  few  were  killed  and  wounded  who 
did  not  figure  in  the  returns. 

It  would  not  be  extravagant  to  estimate  the  number 
of  those  in  the  British  flotilla,  placed  hors  de  combat 
in  this  action,  as  fully  equal  to  the  whole  number  of 
A  mericans  engaged.  Of  "the  officers,  Captain  Lockyer 
was  very  badly  wounded  in  several  places — not,  as  has 
been  frequently  stated,  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight,  on  the 
deck  of  Jones'  flag-boat,  but  in  attempting  to  bring  his 
barge  alongside.  Lieutenant  George  Pratt,  second  of 
the  frigate  Sea-horse,  who  was  in  the  same  boat  with 
Lockyer,  was  shot  down  by  his  side  several  times,  in 
attempting  to  board  the  gun-boat.  Lieutenant  Tatnall, 
of  the  Tonnant,  had  his  boat  sunk,  and,  rescuing  him- 
self and  his  men,  succeeded  in  getting  into  another 
barge.  Lieutenant  Roberts,  also  of  the  Tonnant,  was 
wounded  in  closing  with  the -gun-boats.  Besides  these, 
there  were  ten  midshipmen  killed  and  wounded.  These 
results  show  that  the  victory  of  the  British  was  a  costly 
one.  There  was  not  much  rejoicing  and  exultation  over 
it.  The  groans  and  cries  of  the  wounded  were  the  pre- 
valent notes  in  that  melancholy  squadron,  as  it  returned 
to  the  anchorage  of  the  British  fleet. 

And  yet  their  victory  was  one  of  great  value  and  im- 
portance. It  not  only  cleared  the  Lake  of  all  enemies, 
but  "Supplied  Sir  Alexander  Cochrane,  with  a  very  im- 
portant addition  to  his  fleet  of  smaller  vessels,  so  much 
needed  in  effecting  a  landing  of  the  a'rmy.  It  was  late 
in  the  afternoon  when  the  barges  and  gun-boats  returned 
to  Ship  Island.  On  their  appearance  they  were  loudly 


BATTLE    OP    LAKE    BORGNB.  109 

clieered  by  the  sailors  and  soldiers  on  the  ships ;  but 
they  were  too  much  wearied  and  oppressed  by  the  sever- 
ity of  their  loss,  to  give  more  than  a  feeble  and  faint 
response.  It  was  more  like  a  wail  than  a  cheer.  The 
wounded  were  removed  to  a  large  store-ship,  the  Gor- 
gon, where  the  Americans  were  attended  by  the  same 
surgeons  who  ministered  to  the  British.  Jones  and  Sped- 
den  being  very  severely  wounded,  were  confined  in  the 
cabin  for  many  weary  days.  Though  all  that  skill  and 
kindness  could  accomplish  was  done  for  them,  their  con- 
dition was  one  of  nervous  anxiety  and  painful  apprehen- 
sion for  the  fate  of  the  city,  for  whose  defence  they  had 
so  gallantly  fought.  From  the  port-holes  of  the  hospital 
ship  they  could  perceive  the  movements  going  on  in  the 
fleet  around  them,  the  arrival  and  dispatch  of  troops, 
the  hum  and  buzz  of  preparations  for  the  disembark- 
ation. The  agony  of  their  wounds  was  dreadfully  in- 
creased by  the  reflection  that  the  city  had  no  means  of 
defence — that  it  must  inevitably  fall  into  the  hands  of 
their  powerful  foe.  They  had  not  heard  of  the  arrival 
of  any  troops  there.  Jackson  had  not  reached  the  city 
when  their  little  fleet  left  the  port  to  watch  the  entrance 
of  the  Lake.  Nothing,  it  seemed  to  them,  but  a  miracle 
could  save  New  Orleans. 

The  officers  of  the  British  fleet  were  kind  and  con- 
siderate to  their  unfortunate  and  gallant  foes,  but  even 
they  could  not  conceal  their  exultation,  their  confidence 
in  the  complete  success  of  the  expedition,  and  of  the 
measures  referring  to  their  comfort  and  enjoyment, 
which  were  to  follow  that  event. 

Among  other  incidents,  illustrative  of  the  confidence 
of  the  British,  and  full  of  painful  interest  to  the  wounded 
prisoners,  was  the  introduction  to  them  of  the  future 


110          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

collector  of  the  revenue  of  his  Britannic  Majesty  in  the 
Port  of  New  Orleans,  in  the  person  of  a  tall  and  gentle- 
manly individual,  who  conversed  freely  with  the  Amer- 
icans respecting  his  future  arrangements  for  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties.  How  these  painful  feelings  of  the 
young  American  sailors  fluctuated  and  varied  with 
every  indication  of  the  occurrences,  which,  unknown  to 
them,  were  transpiring  on  the  main  land — how  eagerly 
they  hearkened  to  the  distant  roar  of  artillery,  kept  up 
continuously  for  fourteen  days — with  what  agonizing 
suspense  they  observed  boats  returning  to  the  fleet  with 
wounded  men,  arid  reloading  with  fresh  recruits  from 
the  ships,  including  the  greater  part  even  of  the  com- 
mon sailors,  and  with  large  cannon  taken  from  the  decks 
of  the  ships  of  war — how  they  were  struck  with  the 
silent  and  changed  expression  of  the  British  officers, 
who  gave  their  orders  in  sharp,  angry,  anxious  tones ; 
and  how,  at  last,  their  pains  grew  lighter,  their  wounds 
were  forgotten,  the  groans  and  dying  sighs  of  those 
around  them  were  unheeded,  when  the  gloomy  portents 
and  signs  in  the  English  fleet  began  to  proclaim  more 
emphatically  than  words  could,  the  astounding  and  glo- 
rious result ;  and  how,  despite  wounds,  debility,  and  the 
presence  of  their  enemies,  these  gallant  sailors  could 
not,  even  in  that  awful  place,  surrounded  by  the  dead 
and  dying,  suppress  the  involuntary  cheer  of  joyful 
exultation  over  these  proofs  of  the  triumph  of  American 
valor ;  and  how,  then,  with  a  smile  on  his  face,  the  gal- 
lant Spedden  submitted  cheerfully  to  the  terrible  opera- 
tion of  amputation  of  his  arm ;  and  the  heroic  Jones 
could  regard  with  pride,  rather  than  sorrow,  the  mutila- 
tion of  the  same  member,  are  transitions,  whose  intensity 
can  be  better  imagined  than  described,  which  have  been 


THE  BATTLE  OP  LAKE  BOBGNE.         Ill 

rarely  equalled  in  dramatic  effect,  by  any  of  the  realities 
of  history,  or  the  creations  of  poetry. 

As  soon  as  intelligence  of  the  capture  of  the  gallant 
tars  was  received  in  New  Orleans,  Mr.  Shields,  a  purser 
in  the  Navy,  and  Dr.  Morrell,  were  dispatched  by  Com- 
modore Patterson,  with  a  flag  of  truce  to  the  British 
fleet  at  Cat  Island,  for  the  purpose  of  affording  to  the 
wounded  prisoners  such  comforts  and  necessaries  as  their 
situation  might  demand.  On  their  arrival  off  Cat 
Island,  they  were  received  by  Vice- Admiral  Cochrane, 
and  were  told  that  their  visit  was  a  very  inopportune 
one,  and  he  should  be  compelled  to  detain  them.  They 
protested  against  such  conduct,  as  contrary  to  the  laws 
of  nations ;  as  they  came  under  a  flag  of  truce,  and 
merely  to  relieve  the  sufferings  of  their  unfortunate 
lellow-citizens,  who  had  been  wounded.  Their  protest 
was  disregarded,  and  they  were  assigned  a  room  in  the 
cabin  of  the  flag-ship,  where  they  were  closely  guarded. 
Suspecting  from  the  interrogatories  of  the  British  Com- 
mander, that  every  word  which  fell  from  them  would  be 
eagerly  caught  up  and  reported  to  the  Vice-Admiral, 
Shields  and  Morrell  in  their  conversations  never  failed 
to  dwell  on  the  powerful  force  which  Jackson  had  col- 
lected to  defend  the  city,  or  the  myriads  of  Western 
riflemen  that  were  flocking  to  his  standard,  and  the 
severe  chastisement  which  awaited  the  British,  if  they 
dared  to  advance  upon  the  city.  These  artful  statements 
produced  the  desired  effect  on  the  minds  of  the  British 
commanders,  and  contributed  to  that  deliberation  and 
slowness  of  movement  which  marked  their  subsequent 
course. 

The  capture  of  the  gun-boats  gave  the  British  com- 
mand of  the  lake,  and  enabled  them  to  land  at  any 


112  JACKSON    A.N1)    NEW    ORLEANS. 

point  they  desired,  without  the  fear  of  disturbance,  or 
even  detection. 

The  troops  were  now  all  moved  forward  through  Pass 
Christian,  in  the  smaller  transports  and  vessels  until  they 
arrived  at  that  bleak  and  desolate  Island,  one  of  the 
Malheureux,  called  He  des  Poix,  lying  at  the  mouth  of 
Pearl  River.  Save  a  very  scant  vegetation,  which  grows 
around  the  lake  or  pond  in  the  centre  of  this  island,  it 
consists  of  little  more  than  a  circle  of  white  sand.  Here 
the  British  succeeded  in  effecting  a  landing  on  the  16th 
of  December.  Without  tents  or  any  shelter,  the  condi- 
tion of  the  troops  was  exceedingly  uncomfortable,  espe- 
cially when  a  heavy  rain  came  on  and  threatened  the 
submersion  of  the  whole  island.  Then  a  severe  frost 
followed,  freezing  the  wet  clothes  on  the  bodies  of  the 
men  and  causing  many  deaths,  especially  among  the 
black  troops,  brought  from  the  West  Indies.  From  the 
16th  to  the  20th  the  boats  were  actively  employed  in 
landing  the  troops.  On  the  20th,  General  Keane  re- 
viewed his  army.  It  was  a  bright,  frosty  morning,  and 
though  the  men  were  greatly  fatigued  by  their  incessant 
labors,  exposure  and  deprivations,  their  appearance, 
drawn  up  on  that  lonely  and  desolate  beach,  was  quite 
formidable  and  impressive.  Despite  their  trials,  the 
soldiers  preserved  their  health  and  vigor  to  a  remarkable 
degree.  Their  gallant  young  General,  with  his  hand- 
some, genial  countenance,  and  noble  bearing,  inspired 
all  around  him  with  hope,  confidence  and  energy. 

He  immediately  entered  upon  the  formation  of  his 
army.  The  Light  Brigade,  which  had  been  so  effective 
in  the  operations  on  the  Chesapeake  coast,  was  broken 
up,  and  in  its  place  three  battalions  were  formed  into 
an  advanced  guard.  These  battalions  were  the  4th;  the 


THE  BATTLE  ^  LAKE  BOKGNE.         113 

£5th,  and  95th,  all  tried  Peninsular  troops,  the  two  first 
of  which  had  been  engaged  in  the  attacks  on  Washing- 
ton and  Baltimore.  Attached  to  this  corps  were  a  party 
of  rocket  men,  two  light  three-pounders,  with  a  few 
light  artillerists.  The  advance  was  placed  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  Thornton  of  the  85th,  the  most  ac- 
tive and  enterprising  officer  in  the  division,  who  was 
presumed  to  be  familiar  with  the  habits  and  modes  of 
lighting  of  the  Americans,  having  scarcely  yet  recov- 
ered from  a  bad  wound  received  at  the  battle  of  Bladens- 
burg.  The  rest  of  the  troops  were  arranged  into  two 
brigades.  The  first,  composed  of  the  21st  Fusileers  and 
one  black  regiment,  was  entrusted  to  Colonel  Brook  of 
the  4th,  who  had  succeeded  General  Ross,  in  the  opera- 
tions against  Baltimore,  in  the  command  of  the  army  of 
the  Chesapeake,  and  the  second  under  Colonel  Hamil- 
ton, of  the  7th  West  India  regiment,  consisted  of  the 
93d  Highlanders  and  the  other  black  corps.  The  14th 
Dragoons,  about  300  in  number,  were  attached  to  the 
general,  as  an  escort,  for  special  duty.  Having  thus  dis- 
posed of  his  army,  Keane  hastened  his  preparations  to 
effect  a  landing. 

In  a  consultation  with  certain  Spaniards,  formerly 
residents  of  New  Orleans,  and  with  some  fishermen,  who 
were  familiar  with  the  coast,  Sir  Alexander  Cochrane 
had  ascertained  that  about  fifty  miles  due  west  from 
Pea  Island  there  was  a  bayou,  which  approached  within 
a  few  miles  of  New  Orleans,  and  was  navigable  for 
barges  of  a  large  size.  This  was  the  Bayou  Bienvenu. 
It  was  formerly  called  the  St.  Francis  River,  and  is  an 
important  stream,  being  the  principal  drain  of  the  basin 
below  the  Bayou  St.  John.  Commencing  behind  the 
Faubourg  Marigny,  it  flows  southeasterly,  receiving  the 


114:          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

waters  of  several  other  bayous  and  of  numerous  canals. 
It  is  navigable  for  vessels  of  one  hundred  tons,  as  far  ss 
Pienas  Canal,  twelve  miles  from  its  mouth.  Its  width 
is  one  hundred  and  ten  yards.  Its  principal  branch 
is  Bayou  Mazent,  which  receives  the  waters  from  the 
plantations  below  the  city.  This  bayou,  like  all  the 
scenery  of  the  events  which  we  narrate,  remains  now 
but  little  changed  since  1814.  Though  presenting  great 
advantages  for  commerce,  it  has  not  been  much  used 
for  this  purpose,  and  is  chiefly  resorted  to  by  fishermen 
and  hunters. 

To  satisfy  himself  of  the  feasibility  of  approaching  the 
city,  through  this  stream,  Sir  Alexander  Cochrane  dis- 
patched a  boat,  in  the  charge  of  the  Hon.  Captain  Spencer 
of  the  Carron,  son  of  the  Earl  of  Spencer,  and  Lieute- 
nant Peddie  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department.  They 
arrived  safely  at  the  Fishermen's  Village,  a  collection  of 
miserable  huts  on  the  left  bank  of  the  bayou,  inhabited 
by  certain  Spaniards  and  Portuguese,  who  supported 
themselves  by  sending  fish  through  the  canal  to  the  city 
for  sale.  These  men  had  been  bought  over  by  the  Brit- 
ish, and  were  engaged  in  bringing  them  information  of 
the  state  of  affairs  in  the  city. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  Spencer  and  Peddie  ar- 
rived at  the  village,  and,  procuring  a  pirogue,  employed 
two  of  the  fishermen  to  row  them  up  the  bayou.  Dis- 
guised in  the  blue  shirts  and  old  tarpaulins  of  the  fisher- 
men, these  officers  succeeded  in  passing  up  the  bayou 
and  through  Yillere's  Canal,  from  the  head  of  which, 
they  walked  to  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  after 
slaking  their  thirst  with  draughts  of  the  cool  and  sweet 
water  of  "  the  Big  Drink,"  they  proceeded  to  survey  the 
country  around,  and  to  gather  such  information  as  was 


BATTLE    OF    LAK.E    BOKGNE.  115 

obtainable  from  the  negro  slaves,  whom  they  encounter- 
ed. They  were  not  entirely  unobserved,  and  indeed 
narrowly  escaped  detection  and  arrest.  Having  accom- 
plished their  object,  these  officers  returned  to  lie  des 
Poix,  and  reported  that  the  proposed  route  was  quite 
practicable. 


116  JACKSON    AND    NEW     OBLEAJTS. 


vn 


THE  BRITISH  LANDING  AND  BIVOUAC. 

WHILST  encamped  on  Pea  Island,  Gen.  Keane  was 
persuaded  to  send  an  embassy  to  the  formidable  tribe 
of  Choctaws,  who  hovered  around  Apalachicola,  Florida, 
where  they  were  supported  and  protected  by  the  Span- 
iards, with  a  view  of  rendering  them  hostile  and  annoy- 
ing to  the  United  States.      Nichols,  whose  intrigues 
with  the  Indians  have  already  been  referred  to,  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  this  embassy.     To  give  the  mis- 
sion eclat,  and  produce  a  favorable  impression  on  the 
untutored  savages,  some  of  the  most  stalwart  and  com- 
manding looking  officers  of  the  army  were  selected  to 
accompany  Nichols.     Dressed  in  full  uniform,  and  pre- 
ceded by  a  trumpeter,  who  made  the  forests  ring  with 
his  blasts,  frightening  the  poor  savages  in  their  lairs,  the 
embassy  made  its  appearance  in  the  Choctaw  village, 
bearing  a  friendly  flag,  with  outstretched  hands,  and 
every  demonstration  of  cordial  amity.     A  talk  was  held. 
The  wary  Choctaw  was  more  than  a  match  for  the  en- 
lightened Briton.     The  chiefs  greatly  admired  the  gay 
uniforms,  the  large  cocked  hats  and  nodding  plumes, 
the  golden  epaulets  and  highly-finished  swords  and  scab- 
bards of  their  new  friends.     They  examined  with  curi- 


THE   BKITISII   LAUDING   AND   BIVOUAC.  117 

osity,  and  with  frequent  grunts,  the  symbols  and  quar- 
terings  on  a  stand  of  colors. 

But  arnid  all  their  admiration  and  awe  for  their  friends 
from  across  the  "  Big  Lake,"  they  did  not  forget  the 
remorseless  energy  and  ferocity  of  "Sharp  Knife," 
which  were  written  in  such  bloody  characters  on  the 
memories  of  the  aboriginal  tribes  at  Emuckfaw  and 
Tchopeka.  Their  respect  for  and  confidence  in  the 
British  had  been  somewhat  weakened  by  the  inglorious 
defeat  before  Fort  Bowyer.  Hence  they  were  timid, 
cautious,  and  wily.  The  British  plied  them  withjum. 
They  got  drunk,  as  Choctaws  always  have  done  since 
their  knowledge  of  alcohol,  and  as  they  ever  will  do, 
until  the  last  of  the  tribe,  now  nearly  extinct,  shall  dis- 
appear before  the  greatest  of  the  foes  of  the  poor  Indian, 
and  of  too  many  of  his  pale-faced  enemies.  All  that  the 
British  could  obtain  from  the  Choctaws  was  a  pledge  to 
aid  their  army,  which  pledge  would  be  kept  as  long  as 
the  supply  of  rum  was  continued.  As  hostages  of  their 
good  faith,  two  of  the  chiefs  consented  to  accompany 
the  mission  back  to  the  camp. 

This  was  certainly  a  small  result  of  so  imposing  an 
embassy,  though  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  warriors 
in  their  scarlet  jackets  and  old-fashioned  steel-clasped 
cocked  hats,  with  heavy  shoes  and  no  other  covering  for 
their  legs  than  a  girdle,  tied  around  their  loins,  with 
their  tomahawks  and  scalping  knives  stuck  in  their  em- 
broidered and  bead-figured  buckskin  belts,  their  long 
hair  braided  and  bound  up  with  pieces  of  burnished 
metal,  and  decorated  with  plumes,  purchased  from  the 
Spaniards,  presented  quite  a  novel  and  startling  appear- 
ance among  the  neat  and  trim  soldiers  in  the  camp  on 
Pea  Island.  Their  candor  was  quite  as  novel  and 


118  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

refreshing  as  the  simplicity  of  their  taste  and  attire. 
They  assured  the  British  that  they  would  join  them, 
because  they  believed  that  they  were  stronger  than  the 
Americans,  and  they  expected  to  get  "  rum  plenty  " 
when  New  Orleans  was  taken. 

Such  confessions  might  have  provoked  in  the  minds 
of  the  more  conscientious  of  the  British  army,  the  in- 
quiry whether  their  motives  were  a  whit  more  honor- 
able, whilst  their  candor  was  not  so  open  and  explicit 
as  that  of  these  simple  children  of  the  forest.  Certainly 
the  conduct  of  these  poor  Indians  will  be  viewed  with 
indulgence  and  forgiveness,  when  contrasted  with  that 
of  other  parties  who  visited  the  British  camp.  These 
were  deserters,  traitors  and  refugees  from  New  Orleans, 
who  left  the  city  in  full  confidence  that  it  would  not  and 
could  not  be  defended.  They  represented  that  Jackson 
was  an  ignorant  militia  general,  a  tyrant,  who  was 
detested  by  the  inhabitants,  and  who  had  no  means  of 
defending  the  city.  In  justice  to  Louisiana,  be  it  said 
that  these  individuals  were  ex-officials  of  the  old  Spanish 
Government  in  Louisiana  and  Florida,  who  had  never 
acquiesced  in  the  transfer  of  the  country  to  the  United 
States,  and  were  deluded  with  the  hope  of  regaining  the 
lost  provinces,  and  by  the  interposition  of  their  power- 
ful allies,  the  British,  restoring  Spanish  rule  in  this  fine 
country.  No  American  name  can  be  found  in  the  list 
of  these  refugees,  nor  despite  the  gross  errors  and  false- 
hoods which  have  crept  into  the  histories  of  these  trans- 
actions, can  any  such  base  conduct  be  traced  to  a  single 
citizen  of  New  Orleans,  or  French  Creole  of  Louisiana. 

The  representations  of  these  persons  produced  the 
most  joyful  enthusiasm  and  confidence  in  Keane's  army. 
Officers  and  men  were  all  impatient  to  land  and  hurry 


THE   BRITISH   LANDING   AND   BIVOUAC.  119 

up  to  the  city,  where  they  would  terminate  their  troubles 
and  fatigues,  and  console  themselves  with  untold  wealth 
and  unrestrained  enjoyment.  With  cheerful  alacrity 
they  entered  upon  the  preparations  for  the  landing.  All 
the  launches  and  boats  in  the  squadron  were  collected 
in  front  of  the  island.  All  the  tenders  and  small  craft, 
many  of  which  had  done  good  service  in  the  Chesa- 
peake, under  that  ruthless  and  indefatigable  Yandal, 
Rear-Admiral  Cockburn,  were  also  held  in  requisition. 
A  few  of  the  launches  were  armed  with  carronades  in 
the  bows.  The  gun-boats  taken  from  the  Americans 
were  also  pressed  into  service.  After  all  these  exertions 
and  preparations,  it  was  discovered  that  there  were  only 
boats  enough  to  transport  one- third  of  the  army. 
Keane's  impatience  would  brook  no  further  delay.  He 
knew  that  every  hour  would  add  to  the  strength  of  his 
antagonist ;  so  he  determined  to  push  forward  with  one- 
third  of  the  army,  and  take  a  position  on  the  main  land. 

Accordingly,  at  nine  o'clock  on  the  22d  of  December, 
the  advance  of  the  army,  under  Lieutenant  Colonel 
William  Thornton,  entered  the  boats.  The  advance 
consisted  of  eighteen  hundred  men.  It  was  accompa- 
nied by  General  Keane  and  staff,  by  the  Chiefs  of  the 
Engineers  and  of  the  Commissariat  Department,  and  by 
the  Choctaw  Chiefs,  and  two  of  the  "  Traitors,"  of  the 
Fisherman's  Tillage.  The  morning  was  dark,  chilly, 
and  cloudy.  But  no  "  skyey  influence  "  could  damp 
the  ardor  of  the  excited  and  enthusiastic  Britons,  intent 
on  so  grand  a  design,  the  conquest  of  so  rich  a  city. 

At  a  signal  from  the  indefatigable  and  almost  omni- 
present Sir  Alexander  Cochrane,  the  boats  pushed  boldly 
off,  the  sturdy  sailors  pulled  vigorously  at  the  oars,  and 
the  flotilla  glided  rapidly  over  the  smooth  surface  o 


120          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

lake.  It  was  soon  discovered  by  the  soldiers  that  their 
voyage  was  not  to  be  a  pleasant  one.  They  were 
crowded  together  so  closely  that  they  could  not  change 
their  positions  or  stretch  their  limbs.  To  add  to  their 
discomfort,  the  clouds  blackened  and  soon  burst  into  a 
terrific  rain,  which  drenched  the  men  to  the  skin.  But 
there  was  no  pause.  The  flotilla  pushed  on  in  perfect 
order,  as  gallantly  as  if  all  around  were  bright  and  com- 
fortable. Not  a  sound  was  heard  during  the  whole  voy- 
age, save  the  splash  of  the  oars  and  a  few  half- whispered 
orders  of  the  naval  officers  who  were  conducting  the 
flotilla.  The  boats  moved  in  sections  ten  abreast.  Two 
light  cutters  led  the  van,  a  little  ahead  of  the  first  sec- 
tion. A  like  number  protected  the  flanks,  and  three 
others  covered  the  rear  of  the  flotilla.  All  the  precision 
and  regularity  of  an  advance  in  presence  of  an  enemy, 
were  observed  by  the  cautious  veteran,  who  directed  the 
whole  movement.  Each  division  of  boats  had  its  ap- 
pointed commander,  who  in  a  light  gig  flew  backward 
and  forward,  as  occasion  required,  whilst  the  veteran 
Yice- Admiral,  in  a  small  schooner,  kept  just  far  enough 
off  to  see  at  a  glance  everything  that  transpired  in  the 
flotilla,  and  prevent  any  confusion  or  disarrangement  of 
his  plan  of  debarkation.  The  flotilla,  moving  with  such 
mechanical  precision  and*  order,  was  a  striking  illustra- 
tion of  the  efficiency  of  the  British  navy.  Though  ex- 
posed to  so  many  discomforts,  the  soldiers  could  not  but 
regard  the  spectacle  with  elation  and  pride. 

Finally,  towards  the  afternoon,  the  rain  ceased,  the 
clouds  cleared  off,  and  a  cold,  biting  wind  blew  up. 
The  men  in  their  wet  clothes,  with  their  feet  resting  in 
the  pools  of  water  in  the  bottoms  of  the  boats,  required 
all  their  fortitude  and  philosophy  to  preserve  their  man- 


THE   BRITISH   LANDING   AND   BIVOUAC.  121 

nood  under  the  discomforts  of  their  positions.  To  afford 
some  relief  and  rest,  the  order  at  last  passed  along  tho 
lines  to  cease  rowing  and  come  to  a  grapnel.  It  was 
cheerfully  obeyed  by  the  nearly  exhausted  sailors.  Fires 
of  charcoal  in  tin  pans  were  then  kindled,  with  which 
the  soldiers  sought  to  warm  their  benumbed  limbs. 
The  shades  of  evening  were  gathering  around  them, 
when  an  hour  having  been  allowed  for  rest,  the  boats 
were  ordered  to  get  under  way. 

The  flotilla  was  again  in  motion.  The  sailors  were 
kept  steadily  at  their  oars  all  night.  Just  as  the  coming 
day,  destined  to  be  a  memorable  one  in  the  history  of 
Louisiana,  began  to  prelude  its  march  with  a  few  dim 
streaks  on  the  distant  Mississippi  shore,  the  low,  dark, 
flat  coast  of  Louisiana  loomed  up  before  the  advanced 
boats.  As  they  approached  nearer,  the  repulsive  fea- 
tures of  the  coast  became  manifest.  There  was  nothing 
to  be  seen  but  a  wide,  flat  expanse  of  swamp,  covered 
with  reeds.  Not  a  vestige  of  human  settlement  or  cul- 
tivation was  perceptible.  Save  a  few  melancholy  cranes 
and  frightened  gulls,  no  living  object  could  be  discerned 
in  the  whole  landscape.  And  this  was  Louisiana — El 
Dorado  of  the  Peninsular  warriors  ! 

Wheeling  down  the  coast  in  a  southern  direction,  the 
flotilla  proceeded  in  search  of  the  mouth  of  the  bayou 
through  which  the  boats  were  to  pass.  They  reached  it 
in  safety  about  daybreak,  without  encountering  a  single 
enemy.  Never  was  an  invading  army  more  favored  by 
secrecy.  Keanc  was  now  within  twelve  miles  of  Jack- 
eon's  headquarters,  and  no  one  in  New  Orleans  had  the 
slightest  suspicion  of  his  approach.  It  was  a  complete 
surprise,  which  only  required  rapidity,  boldness,  and 
energy,  to  be  converted  into  an  overwhelming  victory. 

6 


122  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

Let  it  not  be  imagined  that  this  success  of  the  British 
was  due  to  any  want  of  vigilance  or  care  on  the  part  of 
Jackson.  The  bayou  Bienvenu  had  early  attracted 
Jackson's  attention,  and  Major  Yillere,  whose  father's 
plantation  was  situated  at  the  head  of  the  bayou,  had 
been  ordered  to  send  a  picket  to  the  Fisherman's  Village, 
to  watch  the  entrance  of  this  inlet. 

The  picket  consisted  of  a  sergeant,  eight  white  men, 
and  three  mulattoes.  Closely  following  the  tracks  of 
Spencer  and  Peddie  on  their  return  to  the  British  camp, 
they  arrived  at  the  village  on  the  night  of  the  21st,  and 
found  there  but  one  man,  who  pretended  to  be  sick ;  the 
other  inhabitants,  under  pretence  of  fishing,  had  gone 
to  the  British  camp  to  hire  their  boats  and  their  labor  to 
the  British,  to  aid  the  debarkation. 

The  detachment  occupied  the  huts  of  the  fishermen. 
Sentinels  were  posted,  and  boats  sent  out  to  reconnoitre 
in  various  directions.  There  is  too  much  reason,  how- 
ever, to  apprehend  that  the  vigilance  of  these  sentinels, 
and  their  dispositions,  were  not  such  as  might  have  been 
expected  from  regular  soldiers.  Instead  of  housing 
themselves  in  the  village,  which  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  mouth  of  the  bayou,  they  should  have  been 
stationed  on  the  lake-shore  to  watch  out  for  the  enemy. 
Nothing  occurred  to  attract  the  notice  of  this  picket, 
until  about  midnight  on  the  22d,  when  the  sentinel  on 
duty  in  the  village  called  his  comrade,  and  informed 
him  that  some  boats  were  coming  up  the  bayou.  It  was 
no  false  alarm.  These  boats  composed  the  advanced 
party  of  the  British,  which  had  been  sent  forward  from 
the  main  body  of  the  flotilla,  under  Captain  Spencer,  to 
reconnoitre  and  secure  the  village. 

The  Americans,  perceiving  the  hopelessness  of  defend- 


THE   BRITISH   LANDING   AND    BIVOUAC.  123 

ing  themselves  against  so  superior  a  force,  retired  for 
concealment  behind  the  cabin,  where  they  remained 
until  the  barges  had  passed  them.  They  then  ran  out 
and  endeavored  to  reach  a  boat  by  which  they  might 
escape.  But  they  were  observed  by  the  British,  who 
advanced  towards  them,  seized  the  boat  before  it  could 
be  dragged  into  the  water,  and  captured  four  of  the 
picket.  Four  others  were  afterwards  taken  on  land. 
Of  the  four  remaining,  three  ran  into  the  cane-brake, 
thence  into  the  prairie,  where  they  wandered  about  all 
day  until  worn  down  with  fatigue  and  suffering,  they 
returned  to  the  village,  happy  to  surrender  themselves 
prisoners.  One  only  escaped,  and  after  three  days  of 
terrible  hardships  and  constant  perils,  wandering  over 
trembling  prairies,  through  almost  impervious  cane- 
brakes,  swimming  bayous  and  lagoons,  and  living  on 
reptiles  and  roots,  got  safely  into  the  American  camp. 

The  prisoners  were  shut  up  in  one  of  the  huts  and 
closely  guarded.  One  of  them,  a  native  Louisianian 
(Mr.  Ducros),  was  separated  from  his  companions  and 
placed  in  a  boat,  in  which  were  Captain  Spencer  and 
other  British  officers.  The  boat  returned  to  the  lake 
and  near  the  mouth  of  the  bayou  was  met  by  the  main 
body  of  the  British  flotilla,  when  Captain  Spencer  intro- 
duced his  prisoner  to  a  tall,  black-whiskered,  youthful 
man  in  military  undress,  as  General  Keane,  and  to 
another  rough  and  stern-looking,  white-haired  old  gen- 
tleman, in  plain  and  much  worn  clothes,  as  Sir  Alexan- 
der Cochrane.  These  two  distinguished  officers  then 
proceeded  to  interrogate  Mr.  Ducros  very  closely.  But 
with  the  prompt  Irish  wit  of  the  one,  and  the  deep 
Scotch  calculation  of  the  other,  they  did  not  succeed  in 


JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

extracting  any  very  valuable  or  pleasing  intelligence 
from  the  shrewd  Creole. 

Valuable  the  information  was  not  to  the  British,  but 
as  the  sequel  will  show,  invaluable  to  the  Americans, 
was  one  item  of  news  which  Mr.  Ducros  succeeded  in 
passing  off  upon  the  inquisitive  British.  It  was  the 
statement  that  Jackson  had  from  twelve  to  fifteen  thous- 
and armed  men  to  defend  the  city,  and  four  thousand  at 
the  English  Turn.  By  a  preconcert  the  other  prisoners 
confirmed  this  estimate.  It  greatly  surprised  the  Gene- 
ral and  Admiral,  and  led  them  to  doubt  the  character 
and  veracity  of  the  fiishermen,  who  had  made  so  light 
of  the  defences  of  the  city,  and  rendered  it  necessary 
that  the  greatest  caution  and  prudence  should  be  ob- 
served in  their  movements.  Thus  it  is  that  traitors  and 
renegades  are  distrusted,  even  when  they  have  truth  on 
their  side.  The  timely  fiction  of  the  prisoners  proved  a 
shield  for  the  city.  So  deeply  was  it  impressed  on  the 
minds  of  the  British  that  it  has  been  embodied  in  all 
their  histories.  That  prejudiced,  though  graphic  writer, 
Alison,  has  eagerly  adopted  for  the  protection  of  British 
fame,  an  intention  which  served  as  a  protection  of  an 
American  city.  He  estimates  Jackson's  force  at  twelve 
thousand,  when  the  British  landed,  which  was  more  than 
the  whole  male  population  of  New  Orleans  at  that  time. 

Cochranewent  ash  ore  at  the  village  to  remain  and  hurry 
up  the  other  divisions.  The  boats  which  had  entered 
the  bayou  were  ordered  to  push  forward  with  all  speed. 
The  sailors  stood  to  their  oars,  and  the  boats  swept 
rapidly  up  the  stream,  the  banks  on  either  hand  closing 
in  upon  them  as  they  advanced,  and  gradually  contract- 
ing their  front,  until  at  last  there  was  only  space  suffi- 


THE   BRITISH   LANDING    AND   BIVOUAC.  125 

cient  for  one  boat  at  a  time.  Passing  into  Bayou  Maz- 
ent,  the  southern  branch  of  the  Bienvenu,  the  stream 
became  so  narrow  that  oars  could  not  be  used,  and  the 
boats  had  to  be  propelled  by  punting.  Finally  the  front 
boats  took  the  ground.  The  sailors  were  then  ordered 
to  jump  out,  and  see  if  a  road  could  be  found  on  the 
banks  of  the  bayou,  which  was  practicable  for  the 
troops.  They  reported  that  there  was  a  narrow  slip  of 
solid  land  along  the  bank  of  the  stream,  where  a  path 
was  discernible.  The  troops  were  then  marched  ashore 
in  single  file,  and  the  whole  brigade  stood  at  rest  for 
half  an  hour  until  General  Keane  and  Rear-Admiral 
Malcolm  (who  had  remained  in  the  rear  to  see  that  there 
were  no  stragglers),  could  come  up.  On  their  arrival 
at  the  head  of  the  column,  a  brief  consultation  was  held, 
the  men  were  hurriedly  inspected,  the  column  was 
formed  with  the  deserters  and  guides  in  front,  and  the 
engineers  sent  ahead  to  cut  away  the  trees  and  other 
obstacles,  and  bridge  the  numerous  narrow  and  deep 
streams  that  run  into  the  bayou. 

The  order  to  march  was  then  given,  and  the  active 
Thornton  led  his  column  briskly  forward  in  the  narrow 
path  along  the  bayou,  from  which  it  would  be  danger- 
ous to  stray  on  account  of  the  quagmire.  Some -delay 
was  occasioned  by  the  severe  labors  imposed  upon  the 
engineers  in  clearing  the  rank  vegetation,  which  fre- 
quently obstructed  the  path,  and  in  constructing  rude 
bridges  across  the  ditches.  The  scenery  for  some  dis- 
tance continued  to  present  the  same  dreary  monotony. 
Soon,  however,  the  ground  began  to  grow  firmer  and 
the  path  more  distinct.  The  files  were  now  widened, 
and  the  men  were  ordered  to  quicken  their  steps.  With 
the  greatest  alacrity  they  obeyed  their  orders,  and* pushed 


126  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

rapidly  through,  the  low,  stunted  cypress  woods  which 
had  succeeded  to  the  cane-brake.  Suddenly  the  leading 
files  found  themselves  emerging  into  open  and  cultivated 
fields.  Extending  their  front,  they  advanced  rapidly 
and  joyfully  in  the  direction  of  an  orange  grove,  through 
which  several  houses  could  be  discerned.  Forming  his 
front  into  companies,  so  as  to  make  as  wide  a  sweep  as 
possible,  Thornton,  with  one  company,  stole  rapidly 
along  Yillere's  Canal,  and  succeeded,  under  cover  of 
the  grove,  in  surrounding  the  principal  house. 

Major  Gabriel  Yillere,  son  of  the  General,  had  been 
directed  to  guard  the  approach  from  the  Bienvenu,  and 
in  the  execution  of  his  orders,  had  dispatched  the  picket 
which  fared  so  badly  at  the  Fisherman's  Tillage. 
Secure  in  his  outposts,  the  Major  was  sitting  on  the 
front  gallery  of  the  house,  looking  towards  the  river,  and 
quietly  enjoying  his  cigar,  whilst  his  brother  Celestin  was 
engaged  in  cleaning  a  fowling-piece.  Suddenly  the 
Major  observed  some  men  in  red  coats  running  towards 
the  river.  Immediately  he  leaped  frpm  his  chair  and 
rushed  into  the  hall,  with  a  view  of  escaping  by  the  rear 
of  the  house.  "What  were  his  horror  and  dismay  to 
encounter  at  the  back  door  several  armed  men.  One 
of  these  was  Colonel  Thornton,  who  with  drawn  sword, 
called  to  the  Major  to  surrender.  There  were  no  braver 
men  than  the  Villeres  ;  their  heritage  was  one  of  daunt- 
less courage  and  chivalry — but  resistance  under  such 
circumstances  would  have  been  madness.  "With  infinite 
mortification  the  young  Creole  surrendered.  Celestin 
had  already  been  arrested  in  the  yard.  The  two 
young  men  were  then  confined  in  one  of  the  rooms, 
closely  guarded,  until  General  Keane  could  come  tip. 
These  events  occurred  at  half-past  ten  o'clock,  on  the 


T11E    BRITISH    LANDING    AND    BIVOUAC.  127 

morning  of  the  23d  of  December.  Surrounded  and 
vigilantly  guarded  by  his  captors,  Major  Villere  watched 
eagerly  for  an  opportunity  to  escape.  He  felt  that  if 
he  should  remain  imprisoned,  the  calumniators  of  his 
race  would  find,  in  the  circumstance,  some  color  for  the 
aspersions  of  the  patriotism  and  fidelity  of  the  Creoles 
of  Louisiana.  To  repel  so  base  an  inference,  he  deter- 
mined to  incur  every  peril.  Springing  suddenly  from 
the  group  of  soldiers,  he  leaped  through  the  window  of 
the  room  in  which  he  was  confined,  and  throwing  down 
several  of  the  British,  who  stood  in  his  way,  ran  towards 
a  high  picket  fence  which  enclosed  the  yard ;  clearing 
this  at  a  bound,  in  the  presence  of  some  fifty  British 
soldiers,  several  of  whom  discharged  their  arms  at  him, 
he  made  for  the  woods  with  that  celerity  and  agility 
for  which  the  young  Creole  hunter  is  so  distinguished. 
The  British  immediately  started  in  hot  pursuit,  scatter- 
ing themselves  over  the  field  so  as  to  surround  the  fugi- 
tive. "  Catch  or  kill  him,"  was  Thornton's  order. 

Traversing  the  field  behind  the  house,  Yillere  plunged 
into  the  cypress  forest  which  girts  the  swamp,  and  ran 
until  the  boggy  nature  of  the  soil  began  to  impede  his 
progress.  He  could  distinctly  hear  the  voices  of  his 
pursuers  rallying  one  another  and  pointing  out  the 
course  which  he  had  taken.  His  re-captufe  now  seemed 
inevitable,  when  it  occurred  to  him  to  climb  a  large 
live-oak  and  conceal  himself  in  its  thick  evergreen 
branches.  As  he  was  about  to  execute  this  design,  his 
attention  was  attracted  by  a  low  whine  or  cry  at  his 
feet.  He  looked  down  and  beheld  his  favorite  setter 
crouched  piteously  on  the  ground,  by  her  mournful  look 
and  action,  expressing  more  strongly  than  could  the 
human  face  or  form,  her  sympathy  for  the  perils  of  her 


128  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

master,  and  her  desire  to  share  his  fato.  The  faithful 
creature  had  followed  her  master  in  his  flight.  What 
could  Villere  do  with  the  poor  animal  ?  Her  presence 
near  the  tree  would  inevitably  betray  him.  There  was 
no  other  hope  of  escape.  His  own  life  might  not  be  of 
so  much  value,  but  then  the  honor  of  his  family,  of  a 
proud  lineage,  the  safety  of  the  city  of  his  birth,  with 
whose  fortunes  those  of  his  family  had  been  so  conspicu- 
ously associated,  the  imminent  peril  in  which  Jackson 
and  his  soldiers  would  be  placed  by  the  surprise  of  the 
city, — these,  and  other  considerations,  such  as  should  in- 
fluence and  control  a  gallant  and  honorable  man,  sup- 
pressed and  overwhelmed  all  tender  emotions  of  pity 
and  affection.  The  sacrifice  had  to  be  made.  With  a 
deep  sigh  and  eyes  full  of  tears,  the  young  creole  seized 
a  large  stick  and  striking  the  poor,  fawning,  faithful 
dog,  as  she  cowered  at  his  feet,  soon  dispatched  her. 
Concealing  the  dead  body,  he  ascended  the  tree,  where 
he  remained  until  the  British  had  returned  to  their 
camp,  and  the  pursuit  was  relinquished.  He  then  slip- 
ped stealthily  down,  and  stealing  along  the  edge  of  the 
woods,  hurried  to  a  plantation  below,  where  he  found 
his  neighbor,  Colonel  de  la  Ronde,  who  hearing  of  the 
approach  of  the  British,  was  hurrying  up  from  Terre 
aux  Boaufs  to  join  Jackson.  Obtaining  a  boat,  Viltere 
and  De  la  Eonde  rowed  across  the  river  and  reached 
in  safety  the  plantation,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Miss- 
issippi; of  P.  S.  Dussau  de  la  Croix,  one  of  the  Commit- 
tee of  Public  Safety  of  New  Orleans.  Horses  were 
quickly  saddled,  and  Villere,  De  la  Ronde,  and  De  la 
Croix,  leaping  upon  them,  put  spurs  to  their  animals 
and  rode  towards  the  city  as  rapidly  as  the  swift  little 
creole  ponies  could  bear  them. 


THE    BRITISH    LANDING    AND    BIVOUAC.  129 

Thirty-seven  years  had  passed,  and  the  gallant  young 
Creole  hero  of  this  adventure,  emaciated  by  long  sick- 
ness, and  prematurely  old,  surrounded  by  a  family  of 
gallant  sons  and  lovely  daughters,  sat  in  that  very  gal- 
lery, and  on  the  very  spot  on  which  he  was  surprised 
by  the  British,  and  related  with  graphic  distinctness, 
with  kindling  eye  and  voice,  hoarse  with  emotion,  the 
painful  sensation,  the  agonizing  remorse  which  agitated 
his  soul,  when  compelled  to  sacrifice  his  faithful  dog  to 
prevent  the  surprise  of  his  native  city  and  save  his  own 
honor.  A  few  weeks  after,  his  worn  frame  was  con- 
signed to  the  mausoleum,  which  encloses  the  mortal 
remains  of  many  other  members  of  a  family,  whose  name 
is  so  highly  honored  in  the  annals  of  Louisiana. 

Finding  all  his  precautions  thwarted — having,  in  fact, 
observed  the  fugitives  galloping  towards  the  city  on 
the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  General  Keane,  who  had 
now  reached  the  head  of  the  column,  ordered  the  troops 
to  be  formed  in  battalion.  He  then  marched  $em  by 
Villere^s  house,  and  right- wheeled  into  the  road,  which, 
at  a  distance  of  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  river, 
proceeds  directly  to  the  city.  Having  arrived-  at  the 
upper  line  of  Yillere's  plantation,  at  a  point  where  the 
levee  suddenly  diverges  almost  at  a  right  angle  to  the 
road,  he  ordered  the  three  regiments,  composing  the 
advance,  to  take  position.  They  were  accordingly  form- 
ed in  three  close  columns  in  the  field,  within  musket 
shot  of  the  river.  In  front,  where  the  advanced  posts 
were  stationed,  were  a  fence  and  ditch.  The  Rocket 
company  was  stationed  on  the  bank  of  the  river  to  defend 
the  rear  of  the  camp.  Outposts  and  pickets  were  posted 
far  out  in  the  field,  and  a  strong  advance  was  thrown, 
forward  up  the  river  towards  the  city.  Keane  and 

6* 


130          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Thornton  established  their  headquarters  at  Villere's 
house.  The  three  small  cannon  brought  up  with  the 
advance,  were  placed  in  battery  in  the  yard. 

It  was  afternoon  before  these  dispositions  were  com- 
pleted. Strong  parties  had  been,  in  the  meantime,  sent 
in  every  direction  to  see  if  any  enemy  was  near.  They 
all  reported  that  there  was  no  sign  of  a  foe.  The  farm- 
houses had  been  abandoned  by  the  whites,  and  the 
negroes  were  unable  to  give  any  information  of  what 
was  going  on.  Under  these  circumstances,  Colonel 
Thornton  warmly  urged  General  Keane  to  advance  and 
march  into  the  city,  which  lay  in  a  defenceless  state, 
about  eight  miles  off,  without  an  obstacle  between  it 
and  the  British  army.  The  troops,  this  sagacious  and 
enterprising  officer  declared,  were  fresh  and  in  excellent 
spirits,  and  full  of  confidence  and  ardor.  But  General 
Keane  had  been  seriously  impressed  by  the  represen- 
tations of  the  prisoners  taken  at  the  Fisherman's  Tillage, 
as  to  Jagkson's  force.  He  was  apprehensive  that  his 
communications  with  the  fleet  might  be  cut  off,  and  his 
little  army  be  surrounded  by  overwhelming  numbers. 
He  did  not  perceive  that  he  was  already  separated  by  a 
wide  chasm  from  his  supplies,  and  the  main  body  of  his 
command,  which  lay  at  a  distance  of  forty  or  fifty  miles 
off. 

He,  therefore,  concluded  to  delay  his  advance  until 
the  other  divisions  came  up.  Fatal  error  for  the  Bri- 
tish !  Thornton  was  vastly  Keane's  superior  in  sagacity 
and  military  skill. 

Arriving  at  Villere's  at  eleven  o'clock,  if  Keane  had 
pushed  forward,  he  might  have  been  the  first  to  an- 
nounce his  arrival  to  the  surprised  garrison  and  people 
of  New  Orleans.  It  would  be  rash  to  conclude  that  the 


THE    BRITISH    LANDING    AND    BIVOUAC.  131 

bold  genius,  the  inexhaustible  resources  and  dauntless 
energy  of  Jackson,  would  not  have  supplied  some 
defence,  against  even  a  column  of  regular  soldiers,  of 
experienced  warriors,  equal  in  number  to  his  own  com- 
mand of  raw  militia,  separated  in  detached  parties,  oc- 
cupying an  area  of  seven  or  eight  miles ;  but  there  can 
be  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  any  person,  who  views  the 
condition  of  affairs  in  the  city  at  this  juncture,  that  it 
would  have  required  a  miraculous  intervention  to  have 
saved  it  from  capture  or  destruction,  if  Colonel  Thorn- 
ton's counsel  had  prevailed.  Without  walls  or  available 
forts,  scattered  over  so  wide  a  space,  the  city  could  only 
have  been  defended  by  a  system  of  street  guerrillaism, 
the  consequences  of  which  would  have  been  deplorable 
and  heart-sickening. 

It  is  essential  to  a  clear  and  correct  comprehension 
of  subsequent  events,  that  we  should  describe  the  char- 
acter and  situation  of  the  country  in  which  General 
Keane  now  found  himself  established.  The  position 
occupied  by  his  army  was  eight  miles  below  the  city, 
following  the  road  near  the  levee.  The  Mississippi 
River  at  this  period  of  the  year  is  higher  than  the  plains 
on  either  side,  which  gently  decline  from  its  banks.  To 
prevent  its  overflow,  levees  are*  constructed,'  usually 
about  seven  or  eight  feet  high,  varying  with  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  plain,  which  is  greater  in  some  places  than 
in  others.  The  land  on  both  sides  of  the  river  is  of  allu- 
vial formation,  and  runs  off  into  low  swamps,  which  are 
covered  with  cypress  and  other  trees.  The  swamps  are 
relieved  by  numerous  bayous,  which  find  their  way  to 
the  lake.  The  lake  being  lower  than  the  river,  tha 
plantations  are  drained  into  it  through  the  swamp.  The 
culture  of  sugar,  the  only  extensive  product  of  South 


132  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Louisiana,  demands  a  very  thorough  drainage,  and  the 
alluvion  is  subject  to  a  constant  infusion  from  seepage 
or  transpiration  water.  To  draw  off  this,  and  prevent 
the  injurious  effects  of  moisture  on  the  cane,  the  planters 
cut  numerous  ditches  in  every  direction,  so  as  to  enclose 
spaces  of  one  or  two  acres,  it  being  an  established  fact 
in  cane  culture,  that  the  labor  and  expense  of  ditching 
and  drainage  are  the  best  investments  of  the  planter. 

The  plantation  establishment,  at  the  time  of  which 
we  are  now  writing,  was  simple  and  cheap,  compared 
with  the  present  grand  and  expensive  arrangements  and 
constructions.  Instead  of  large  brick  sugar-houses,  with 
powerful  machinery,  propelled  by  steam,  at  a  cost  of 
many  thousand  dollars  for  fuel,  with  a  complete  and 
intricate  apparatus,  embracing  many  ingenious  inven- 
tions of  modern  science,  with  long  brick  wings  extended 
on  each  side  of  the  sugar-house,  forming  a  huge  T, 
called  the  purgeries,  in  which  the  hogsheads  of  green 
sugar  are  deposited  on  rafters  over  a  large  cement  cis- 
tern, so  that  the  syrup  (sirop)  may  drain  from  the  sugar, 
and  leaving  the  crystallized  particles  and  solid  matter 
dry,  form  in  the  cistern^ that  article  so  much  desiderated 
by  juveniles,  called  molasses.  These,  with  many  other 
expensive  improvements,  which  it  would  not  be  appro- 
priate to  describe  in  this  place,  render  the  sugar  planta- 
tions of  Louisiana,  objects  of  great  interest  to  strangers 
and  others,  who  are  curious  about  the  application  of 
science  and  art  to  the  production  of  one  of  the  great 
comforts  of  life. 

How  different  were  the  arrangements  of  the  sugar 
planters  thirty-nine  years  ago !  Then  an  ordinary  mill 
of  circular  shape,  made  of  cypress  plank,  set  in  motion 
by  the  labor  of  mules,  served  by  a  very  simple,  though 


THE    BRITISH    LANDING    AND    BIVOUAC.  133 

awkward  and  uncertain  mechanism,  to  press  the  juice 
from  the  cane.  This  was  collected  in  kettles  and  boiled 
in  the  open  air  over  rude  fires,  until  crystallization  was 
obtained,  when  the  kettles  would  be  emptied  into 
troughs  and  put  out  to  cool.  In  this  process,  the  labor- 
ers employed  were  exclusively  African  slaves,  the  only 
species  of  labor  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  sugar  in 
Louisiana,  which  requires  that  the  planter  should  have 
absolute  control  over  the  labor  thus  employed.  A  delay 
or  interruption  of  taking  off  his  crop,  such  as  would 
frequently  occur  under  any  -system  of  free  labor,  would 
be  fatal  to  the  prospects  and  interests  of  the  planter. 
These  negroes  were  then,  as  they  are  now,  treated  with 
great  kindness  and  indulgence,  though  of  late  years 
great  improvements  have  been  made  in  their  condition 
and  comforts.  It  is  always  the  interest  of  the  planter 
to  promote  the  comfort,  health  and  vigor  of  those  upon 
whose  labor  he  is  dependent. 

This  motive,  aside  from  the  ordinary  feelings  of  human- 
ity, which  prompt  all  civilized  beings  to  desire  to  see  their 
fellows  happy,  contented  and  comfortable,  will  always 
secure  kind  treatment  for  the  negroes  employed  on  the 
plantations  of  the  South.  There  are,  no  doubt,  excep- 
tions to  the  remark,  but  they  are  not  more  numerous 
than  the  exceptions  to  the  proposition,  that  parents 
desire  the  happiness  of  their  children,  or  husbands  that 
of  their  wives.  Wife-killing,  and  the  cruel  treatment 
of  children  by  their  parents,  in  some  of  the  very  central 
districts  of  civilization  and  Christianity,  are  more  com- 
mon than  the  instances  of  brutality  and  cruelty  to  slaves 
in  the  Southern  States. 

At  the  period  to  which  our  sketches  refer,  the  negroes 
on  the  plantations  lived  in  small  huts,  constructed  of 


134  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

light  wooden  frames,  filled  in  with  adhesive  mud,  taken 
from  the  batture  of  the  Mississippi.  Now,  however, 
their  dwellings  consist  of  neat  cottages  of  wood  or  brick, 
built  some  feet  from  the  ground,  with  windows,  chim- 
neys, doors,  and  all  the  essentials  for  comfortable  lodg- 
ing, with  a  small  patch  of  ground  in  the  rear  of  each 
cabin,  for  a  garden.  The  cabins  are  usually  built  in 
two  rows,  with  the  main  road  of  the  plantation  passing 
between  the  rows.  We  are  thus  minute,  because  a  very 
common  error  prevails,  and  has  been  repeated  by  many 
writers  and  speakers  in  England  and  the  United  States, 
that  the  negroes  employed  in  the  sugar  culture  of  Louisi- 
ana are  subjected  to  very  severe  toils  and  hard  treatment. 
It  is  susceptible  of  satisfactory  demonstration,  that  the 
condition  of  these  negroes  is  greatly  superior  to  that  of 
any  of  the  agricultural  laborers,  white  or  black,  of  other 
countries.  The  happiness,  health,  and  especially  the 
great  fecundity  of  the  negroes  in  Louisiana,  as  well  as 
their  own  enthusiastic  testimony,  will  establish  this 
fact. 

The  planters'  dwelling-houses  in  1814  were  usually 
neat  wooden  edifices,  either  in  the  cottage  style,  like 
General  Yillere''s,  the  first  headquarters  of  the  British 
army,  the  whole  building  being  on  one  floor,  with  wide 
galleries  in  front  and  rear  ;  or  in  the  chateau  style,  like 
.Bienvenu's  and  Macarte's,  in  front  of  the  British  camp, 
which  consisted  of  two  stories  and  an  attic,  the  ground- 
floor  being  usually  paved  with  brick  or  marble,  and  the 
galleries  supported  by  brick  pillars,  circling  the  whole 
building.  These  houses  were  surrounded  by  trees  and 
shrubbery,  so  that,  at  a  short  distance,  they  could 
scarcely  be  seen.  They  looked  to  the  river,  and  were 
built  usually  at  a  distance  of  a  few  hundred  yards  from 


THE    BRITISH    LANDING    AND    BIVOUAC.  135 

• 

its  bank,  with  cultivated  gardens,  or  neatly  trimmed 
lawns,  shaded  by  spreading  live  oaks  and  pecan  trees, 
and  hedged  around  with  a  thick  growth  of  orange  and 
lemon  trees,  extending  in  front  to  the  road,  which  fol- 
lows the  levee.  The  plantations  were  divided  by  slight 
but  durable  fences  of  cypress  pickets,  with  ditches  on 
both  sides.  Their  fronts  usually  averaged  a  mile  or 
three-quarters  on  the  river,  with  about  the  same  depth, 
terminating  in  the  cypress  swamp,  which  extends  the 
whole  distance  frofn  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  to  the 
highlands,  a  distance  of  over  two  hundred  miles,  leaving 
between  it  and  the  river,  a  narrow  neck  of  solid  and 
cultivable  land. 

It  was  this  neck  which  General  Keane  now  occupied. 
His  camp  was  entirely  within  Yillere's  plantation,  and 
stretched  from  the  head  of  the  canal,  near  the  mansion, 
to  the  upper  line  of  the  plantation.  There  were  some 
.twelve  or  fifteen  plantations,  large  and  small,  over  which 
he  must  pass  to  reach  the  city.  A  two  hours'  march 
would  have  accomplished  the  task.  After  leaving  Yil- 
lere's, he  would  have  passed  into  Lacoste's,  from  La- 
coste's  to  De  la  Rondo's,  from  De  la  Ronde's  to  Bien- 
venu's,  from  Bienvenu's  to  Chalmette's.  We  need  not 
go  further,  as  these  five  plantations  embrace  the  full 
extent  of  the  British  advance,  and  of  the  operations 
which  we  are  about  to  describe.  The  upper  line  of 
Chalmette's  is  marked  by  a  small  canal  or  ditch,  called 
Rodriguez'  Canal,  which  was  dry  the  greater  part  of 
the  year,  and  only  contained  a  small  qmmtity  of  water 
when  the  river  was  high.  This  canal  was  never  passed 
by  a  hostile  Englishman  who  did  not  perish  in  the  act. 

The  plantations  between  the  Canal  Rodriguez  and  the 
British  camp  were  under  good  culture.  The  crops  had 


136          JACKSON.  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

just  been  gathered,  and  the  families  had  been  residing 
on  them  a  few  days  before  the  British  arrived.  The 
rolling  season,  as  it  is  called,  was  just  over,  and  the  sugar 
safely  stored  in  the  barns  and  warehouses  on  the  planta- 
tions. That  portion  of  the  cane,  which  is  retained  to 
be  planted  for  the  next  crop,  was  left  in  the  fields, 
having  been  cut  and  piled  into  mattresses,  covered  with 
a  slight  layer  of  fodder  and  dirt,  to  protect  it  from  the 
frost — a  process  called  by  the  planters  matlaying.  It  is 
a  notable  coincidence,  that  the  three  plantations  first 
named  in  the  preceding  enumeration,  where  most  of 
the  events  to  be  described  occurred,  were  owned  by 
gentlemen,  who,  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  British, 
were  actively  and  efficiently  engaged  in  aiding  Jackson 
to  defend  the  city. 

General  Yillere  was  in  command  of  the  first  division 
of  Louisiana  militia,  employing  his  influence  and  talents 
in  rallying  the  people  of  the  rural  districts  to  the  defence 
of  the  city,  and  in  organizing  various  bodies  of  troops. 
The  services  of  Colonel  De  la  Ronde  were  similarly 
employed,  and  Major  Lacoste,  aided  by  his  son  (now 
General  Lacoste,  Paymaster-General  of  the  State,  and 
long  a  member  of  the  State  Senate),  was  engaged  in 
forming  and  disciplining  that  efficient  battalion  of  free 
men  of  color,  to  which  frequent  allusion  will  be  made 
hereafter. 

The  front  view  from  the  British  camp  was  interrupted 
by  the  turn  in  the  river,  which,  at  Lacoste's,  declines  to 
the  west.  The  position  of  Keane  was  well  adapted  for 
defensive,  but  too  narrow  and  circumscribed  for  offen- 
sive operations.  The  swamp  afforded  a  secure  protection 
for  his  right,  and  for  his  line  of  communications  with 
the  squadron  in  the  lake.  The  river  protected  his  left 


THE    BRITISH    LANDING    AND    BIVOUAC.  137 

flank  from  attack  by  land  troops,  but  not  against  any 
armed  vessel  that  might  drop  down  the  stream,  nor  from 
batteries  on  the  opposite  bank.  There  was  the  weak- 
ness of  his  position.  Had  the  vessels  of  war  succeeded 
in  coming  up  the  river,  and  anchored  in  rear  of  the 
camp,  this  deficiency  would  have  been  remedied.  But 
as  it  was,  having  determined  not  to  advance  until  he 
was  joined  by  the  remainder  of  his  troops,  it  is  quite 
evident,  to  even  an  unmilitary  eye,  that  General  Keane 
had  placed  his  army  in  a  position  of  great  peril  and 
embarrassment. 


138  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 


Yin. 


THE  ALAEM — THE  KALLY THE  MARCH. 

THE  first  intelligence  which  greeted  Jackson  on  his 
return  from  his  tour  below  the  city  and  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, was  of  the  disastrous  and  alarming  capture  of  the 
gun-boats.  By  and  by  the  details  of  the  combat — of 
the  heroic  defence — the  bloody  and  destructive  resist- 
ance against  an  overwhelming  force,  reached  head- 
quarters, and  produced  the  most  lively  emotions  of  pride 
and  courage  in  the  breast  of  Jackson.*  This  result,  the 


*  General  Plauche,  in  a  brief  review  written  by  him,  relates  the  following  facts : 
On  reaching  the  position  which  he  had  been  ordered  by  Jackson  to  occupy  with  his 
battalion  at  the  Bayou  Bridge  after  the  review  of  the  18th,  Major  Plauche  proceeded  to 
make  a  survey  and  reconnoissance  of  the  adjacent  country,  and  particularly  of  the 
bayous  by  which  the  rear  of  the  city  could  be  approached.  In  the  discharge  of  this 
duty  he  proceeded  to  Fort  St.  John  at  the  mouth  of  the  bayou,  where  he  held  a  confer- 
ence with  Major  Hughes,  who  commanded  this  post.  Shortly  after  hig  arrival  at  the 
fort,  two  small  schooners  arrived  from  the  direction  of  the  Rigolets,  having  on  board  a 
white  man  of  the  name  of  Brown,  and  a  passenger  named  Michaud,  who  were  strongly 
suspected  of  being  spies.  Brown,  when  closely  interrogated  by  Major  Hughes,  said 
that  he  had  seen  and  counted  three  hundred  and  forty-eight  barges',  carrying  each 
forty  or  fifty  men,  infantry,  cavalry,  and  two  regiments  of  negroes,  that  had  disem- 
barked at' Ile-aux-Poix;  and  that  they  were  accompanied  by  twenty  or  twenty-five 
armed  ships.  The  negro  Michaud,  when  questioned  by  Major  Plauche,  said  that  he 
had  served  as  pilot  for  Brown,  by  whom  he  was  paid.  He  confirmed  his  statement  as 
to  the  number  of  British  barges,  and  said  that  they  had  endeavored  to  secure  his  ser- 
Tices  and  those  of  Brown  to  pilot  them.  These  men  were  immediately  sent  to  Head- 
quarters at  New  Orleans  to  be  examined  by  the  General.  It  was  from  them  the  first 
positive  intelligence  was  received  of  the  landing  of  the  British  at  Ile-aux-Poix.  On 
the  person  of  Michaud  a  billet  was  found,  signed  "  Labat,"  dated  Pass  Christian,  10 


TIIE   ALARM.  139 

near  approach  of  that  powerful  army,  instead  of  shock- 
ing or  astounding  the  soul,  gave  more  fire  and  vigor  to 
the  energies  of  this  heroic  chief.  In  calm  and  resolute 
terms  he  communicated  the  intelligence  to  the  Legisla- 
ture, eulogizing  "  the  valor  and  firmness  with  which  our 
gallant  tars  maintained  the  unequal  combat,  leaving  no 
doubt  that,  although  compelled  ultimately  to  strike, 
their  conduct  had  been  such  as  to  reflect  honor  upon 
the  American  name  and  navy."  He  added,  "the 
ascendency  which  the  enemy  had  now  acquired  on  the 
coast  of  the  lake,  increases  the  necessity  for  enlarging 
our  measures  for  defence." 

Look  at  the  map  of  New  Orleans,  and  you  will  ob- 
serve a  small  bayou,  called  the  Chef  Menteur,  which 
approaches  very  near  the  rear  of  the  city,  and  from  tHe 
head  of  which  starts  a  fine  road  on  high  land,  running 
into  the  city,  called  the  Gentilly  road.  The  bayou  com- 
municates with  Lake  Borgne,  and  the  road  commands 
the  bayou.  Nothing  was  easier  than  for  the  British  to 
reach  the  city  through  the  Chef  Menteur,  as  they  had 
entire  command  of  the  lake,  provided  the  road  was  not 
defended  by  strong  works  and  a  large  force.  Jackson's 
first  act  was  to  protect  this  point.  Lacoste's  free  men 
of  color,  with  two  pieces  of  cannon,  were  stationed 
here ;  these  were  afterwards  reinforced  by  the  dragoons 

Decembre,  1S14,  addressed  to  his  sister  in  New  Orleans.  From  this  letter  we  translate 
the  following  extract : 

"  I  write  you  these  few  lines  to  give  yon  the  news.  At  the  same  time  I  wish  you  to 
learn  that  on  this  side  of  Pass  Christian  some  sixty  English  barges  are  visible;  that 
they  have  attacked  the  gun-boats  and  captured  them,  with  forty  barges  containing 
thirty  men  each.  They  give  no  quarter,  but  in  four,  days  will  enter  the  city.  Hasten 
to  leave,  for  they  will  burn  everything  that  comes  in  their  way.  They  have  burnt  the 
Btahouse  and  a  storehouse  at  Chopitoula,  belonging  to  us ;  they  hold  no  parleys,  but 
proceed  steadily  forward  to  their  object.  Of  the  sixty  sails  visible,  forty  are  brigs  and 
corvettes.  I  beg  of  you  in  any  event  to  retire  to  the  swamp,  for  there  are  too  many 
risks  to  run.  It  ig  the  city  they  are  aiming  for." 


140          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

of  Feliciana,  a  volunteer  corps,  one  of  the  first  from  the 
country  to  reach  Jackson's  camp.  Many  other  precau- 
tions were  taken,  which  it  would  be  tedious  and  unin- 
teresting to  describe  in  full.  Dispatches  were  sent  to 
Coffee,  Carroll  and  Thomas,  informing  them  of  the  de- 
struction of  the  gun-boats,  and  urging  them  to  use  all 
dispatch  in  hastening  to  the  city. 

The  Government  at  Washington  was  also  informed 
of  the  condition  of  affairs,  of  the  great  need  of  all  the 
munitions  of  war,  of  the  non-arrival  of  arms,  for  which 
a  requisition  had  been  made  as  far  back  as  the  summer 
months,  but  which  did  not  reach  New  Orleans  until  the 
middle  of  January,  1815.  By  special  agreement  the 
contractor  who  brought  these  arms  in  flat-boats,  was 
allowed  the  privilege  of  trading,  as  he  descended  the 
river,  a  privilege  which  he  largely  used.  There  was 
certainly  no  Carnot  at  Washington  to  support  and  aid 
the  Militia  General,  who  had  been  sent  to  cope  with  the 
conquerors  of  ISTapoleon. 

All  classes  of  a  population,  which  but  a  few  days  be- 
fore was  sunk  in  despondency  and  gloom,  now  became 
inspired  with  the  heroism  and  valor  of  the  intrepid 
chief.  The  free  men  of  color  formed  a  second  battalion, 
which  was  drilled  and  organized  by  Savary,  a  veteran 
of  the  St.  Domingo  revolution,  and  commanded  by 
Major  Daquin.  This  battalion  was  composed  almost  en- 
tirely of  fugitives  from  St.  Domingo.  Sailors  were 
scarce,  and,  on  the  recommendation  of  Governor  Clai- 
borne,  bounties  were  offered  by  the  Legislature  for  their 
enlistment.  Thus  Patterson  was  enabled  to  augment 
his  forces,  and  to  equip  and  man  the  schooner  Carolina 
and  the  ship  Louisiana,  a  merchant  vessel,  which  had 
been  purchased  and  fitted  up  for  warlike  uses.  These 


THE    BALLY.  141 

would  be  eminently  useful  in  case  of  the  advance  of  the 
enemy  along  the  river  banks.  Among  other  judicious 
acts  adapted  to  the  emergency,  the  Legislature  passed  a 
bill  suspending  the  collection  of  debts  for  three  months. 
The  eighteenth  of  December,  eighteen  hundred  and 
fourteen,  was  a  stirring  and  glorious  day  in  New 
Orleans.  It  was  the  day  fixed  by  Jackson  for  the 
review  of  the  militia  of  the  city.  At  an  early  hour  the 
citizens  were  aroused  by  the  roll  of  drums,  and  the 
clangor  of  trumpets,  calling  the  people  from  their  peace- 
ful pursuits  to  the  Place  d'Armes.  Promptly  they  as- 
sembled with  arms,  accoutrements,  and  that  invariable 
badge  of  the  Creole  soldier,  the  bouquet  of  mother,  sis- 
ter, or  lady-love.  They  gathered  on  classic  ground,  too, 
when  they  stood  on  the  greensward,  and  beneath  the 
venerable  trees  of  that  honored  spot,  where  all  the  great 
events  in  the  history  of  the  city  had  been  duly  celebra- 
ted. In  front,  the  old  Cathedral  of  St.  Louis  reared  its 
quaint  and  time-stained  towers,  an  object  well  calculated 
to  kindle  the  love  of  country  of  the  Creoles,  and  incite 
them  to  deeds  of  noble  daring  and  patriotic  sacrifices. 
It  was  in  that  sacred  edifice,  beneath  that  vaulted  roof, 
they  had  received,  by  Christian  baptism,  the  names 
which  they  were  pledged  to  preserve  unsullied — it  was 
there  they  had  so  long  performed  those  religious  duties 
and  devotions  which  the  faith  of  their  fathers  taught 
and  enjoined — it  was  through  those  large  doors,  open 
alike  to  all,  as  the  house  of  God  should  be,  they  had  led 
their  blushing  brides — it  was- within  those  massive  walls, 
and  under  that  solemn  dome,  that  the  delicate  charms 
of  Creole  beauty  produced  their  deepest  and  warmest 
influence,  and  where  many  a  tender  passion  had  its 
birth  ripened  Mnto  lasting  affection,  and  conducted  to 


142          JACKSON  AND  NEW  OKLEAN8. 

connubial  bliss.'  Alas  !  that  rude,  dingy,  and  venerable 
relic  of  Spanish  power  and  piety,  around  which  clus- 
tered so  many  dear  associations  and  fond  remembrances 
has  disappeared  before  the  remorseless  spirit  of  modern 
innovation  (miscalled  improvement),  to  make  way  for  a 
far  less  impressive,  though,  perhaps,  more  architectural 
edifice. 

And,  beside  that  venerable  Cathedral,  the  Principal 
and  the  Calaboose,  the  old  Square,  too,  had  its  proud 
associations.  We  have  said  it  was  a  classical,  we  might 
add,  a  sacred  spot,  to  all  Louisianians.  It  was  the  stage, 
on  which  had  been  enacted,  all  the  prominent  events 
in  the  stirring  drama  of  the  city  of  Bienville. 

Here  all  public  transactions  were  authenticated. 
Here  Ulloa  had  received  the  surrender  of  the  colony  of 
Louisiana  from  the  hands  of  the  French  officials,  amid 
the  universal  grief  of  the  colonists.  Here  had  been 
exhibited  that  exciting  spectacle  of  the  second  surren- 
der of  the  city  to  that  fierce  Irish  adventurer,  whom  the 
Spanish  Government  sent  over  to  reclaim  the  almost 
revolutionized  colony,  Don  Alexander  O'Reilly,  whose 
grim  battalions  of  twenty-five  hundred  men,  drawn  up 
in  perfect  military  order,  glared  fiercely  upon  the  small 
command  of  French  troops  in  front  under  Aubry,  who 
bore  the  keys  of  the  city  and  of  the  ports, — and  at  the 
waving  of  whose  hand  the  artillery  sent  forth  its  thun- 
der, the  shouts  of  the  multitude  arose  to  heaven,  and 
the  white  banner  of  France,  sinking  from  the  head  of 
the  staff  where  it  had  long  waved  in  pride  and  glory, 
was  quickly  succeeded  by  the  gorgeous  standard  of 
proud  old  Spain.  Here,  too,  Spain  had  redelivered  the 
colony  to  its  ancient  founder,  with  equal  pomp  and  dis- 
play ;  and  here,  last  and  happiest  cession  of  all,  the  French 


THE    RALLY.  143 

tri-color,  after  a  brief  triumph  ,  had  descended  amid 
loud  huzzas  and  with  other  manifestations  less  gorgeous 
and  showy,  but  more  real  and  sincere  than  those  which 
had  attended  the  previous  ceremonies  of  cession, — and 
in  its  place  slowly  and  grandly  arose  that  starry  banner 
of  the  great  Republic,  which  has  ever  since  waved  over 
that  historic  spot.  Here  all  distinguished  characters 
have  received  the  salutations  and  hospitalities  of  the 
city  ;  and  here  all  notable  events  and  anniversaries  have 
been  celebrated  by  the  customary  tokens  of  popular 
feeling.  Though  time  and  events  have  produced  great 
changes  in  the  aspect  of  the  place, — so  that  now  it  could 
scarcely  be  recognized  by  those  of  the  ancient  population 
whom  fortune  has  long  detained  from  their  native  city, 
— and  though  the  name  of  "  Jackson  "  has  appropri- 
ately and  justly  supplanted  its  ancient  designation,  still 
its  historical  associations  are  warmly  cherished  by  all  the 
natives  and  old  residents  of  New  Orleans. 

Here  assembled  the  scant  force  which  New  Orleans 
could  contribute  for  its  defence  out  of  its  small  and 
mixed  population.  This  force  consisted  of  two  weak 
and  badly  equipped  regiments  of  militia ;  of  Planche's 
fine  battalion  of  uniformed  volunteers ;  and  of  one  bat- 
talion of  free  men  of  color.  These  troops  were  poorly 
armed — many  of  them  having  only  ordinary  fowling- 
pieces,  and  many  being  without  flints.  They  were, 
however,  animated  by  the  greatest  ardor  and  impatience 
to  meet  the  foe.  Jackson's  eye  brightened,  the  care- 
worn expression  of  his  face  cleared  up,  before  that  proud 
smile  of  confidence,  a  smile  once  seen  and  never  forgot- 
ten, as  his  Aid,  Edward  Livingston,  read,  in  the  centre 
of  the  square,  that  impassioned  address,  whose  sentences 
even  now,  when  pronounced  aloud,  stir  the  heart  and 


14A          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

excite  the  senses  like  strains  of  martial  music,  remind- 
ing those  gallant  young  warriors  "  that  though  the  sails 
of  the  enemy  covered  the  Lake,  to  the  brave,  united  in 
patriotism,  and  in  a  noble  enthusiasm  to  protect  their 
homes,  their  altars,  their  firesides,  the  honor  of  their 
wives,  sisters,  daughters,  and  mothers, — there  was  naught 
that  was  terrible'in  their  aspect,  and  that  the  only  rivalry 
among  Americans,  resisting  a  brutal  and  insolent  invader, 
should  be  for  the  prize  of  valor  and  of  fame." 

This  address  was  received  with  loud  acclaims,  and 
the  flashing  eyes  and  resolute  expression,  the  erect  and 
manly  bearing  of  the  young  soldiers,  assured  Jackson 
that  he  was  surrounded  by  troops  who  would  brave 
every  peril  to  save  their  city  and  the  honor  of  their  flag ; 
who  would  follow  whithersoever  he  might  lead.  After 
allowing  them  a  short  time  to  visit  their  families,  Jack- 
son directed  the  various  corps  of  this  small  force  to  take 
positions  at  various  points  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city, 
which  were  assailable. 

Jackson  next  proceeded  to  relieve  himself  of  the 
embarrassments  of  the  divided  and  contentious,  though 
probably  well-disposed  State  officials,  by  declaring  mar- 
tial law,  and  suspending  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus. 
Though  no  doubt  there  was  much  calumny  and  exag- 
geration in  the  reports,  diligently  circulated  by  scandal- 
mongering  and  mischief-making  persons,  respecting  the 
fidelity  of  certain  public  officials  and  citizens — and  per- 
haps among  no  other  people,  situated  as  they  were,  would 
there  have  been  more  union  and  patriotism ; — yet  from 
the  insidious  nature  of  the  printed  and  circulated  appeals 
of  the  British  to  the  French  and  Spanish  races,  and 
from  the  fact  that  several  former  citizens  of  New  Or- 
leans, connected  with  families  resident  in  the  city,  were 


THE    KALLY.  145 

reported  to  be  in  the  British  camp, — but,  more  than  all, 
from  a  consideration  of  the  injurious  and  indecent  parti- 
san contests  that  were  going  on  in  the  Legislature  and 
among  the  State  officials,  Jackson  deemed  it  prudent, 
and  he  was  so  advised  fry  the  highest  judicial  and  other 
authority,  to  assume  the  entire  police  of  the  city  in  order 
to  produce  that  unity  of  action,  which  was  so  necessary 
in  this  emergency. 

The  wisdom  and  necessity  of  this  act  have  been  so 
ably  vindicated  by  the  first  intellects  of  the  country, 
that  it  would  be  quite  inappropriate  and  supererogatory 
to  discuss  it  in  this  place.  The  results  of  this  measure 
were  conspicuously  beneficial.  Thenceforward  every 
thing  proceeded  with  the  utmost  order  and  regularity. 
Every  individual  had  his  particular  duty  and  post.  The 
prisons  were  opened,  and  those  of  the  occupants  who 
could  be  trusted,  were  allowed  an  opportunity  of  redeem- 
ing their  characters  and  expiating  their  offences  against 
society,  by  serving  their  country  on  the  battle-field. 
All  able-bodied  men,  of  every  age,  color,  and  nation- 
ality, except  the  British,  were  pressed  into  service. 
Suspicious  strangers  and  neutral  foreigners  were  ordered 
out  of  the  city.  All  persons  entering  the  city  were 
required  immediately  to  report  themselves  to  the  Adju- 
tant General,  and  on  failing  to  do  so  were  to  be  arrested 
and  detained  for  examination.  No  one  could  depart 
from  the  city  or  beyond  the  chains  of  sentinels,  but  by 
permission  from  the  commander,  nor  any  vessel  or  craft 
sail  on  the  lake  or  river.  The  lamps  were  to  be  ex- 
tinguished at  nine  o'clock,  and  all  persons  found  in  the 
streets  after  that  hour  were  to  be  arrested  and  detained 
for  examination.  The  aged  and  infirm  constituted  them- 
selves into  a  veteran  guard  to  maintain  the  police  of 

7 


14:6  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

the  city  and  occupy  the  forts.  One  of  this  band  was 
the  Historian  of  Louisiana,  and  late  its  Chief  Justice  for 
thirty  years,  whose  deficiency  of  sight  rendered  him  in- 
competent for  military  duty.  We  refer  to  the  venerable 
Francis  Xavier  Martin. 

At  this  juncture  Jean  Lafitte,  true  to  his  pledges, 
came  forward  arid  offered  to  organize  his  late  associates 
into  efficient  corps  to  aid  in  the  defence  of  the  city. 
There  were  still  a  number  of  the  Baratarians  in  prison, 
others  were  lurking  in  the  swamps.  Jackson  was  solic- 
ited by  a  committee  of  the  Legislature,  at  the  head  of 
which  was  Mr.  Bernard  Marigny,  who  still  survives  a 
remarkable  representative  of  the  three  nationalities, 
which  in  turn  have  possessed  Louisiana,  under  all  of 
which  he  has  held  offices  of  honor  and  trust,  to  enroll 
the  Baratarians  under  the  American  flag.  At  first  the 
General  was  not  favorable  to  the  proposition,  but  at  the 
suggestion  of  Judge  Hal],  before  whom  the  Baratarians 
had  been  arraigned, — and  by  a  unanimous  recommen- 
dation of  the  Legislature,  the  District- Attorney  acqui- 
esced in  the  release  of  these  men  from  prison,  and  Jack- 
son consenting,  these  experienced  sailors  and  mariners, 
who  had  seen  much  service  in  various  parts  of  the  world, 
were  released  and  organized  into  two  artillery  detach- 
ments under  Dominique  You  and  Bluche.  The  first 
was  a  Frenchman,  a  very  wiry,  agile,  bright-eyed  man, 
of  indomitable  will  and  great  skill  in  the  use  of  all  wea- 
pons of  warfare.  The  epitaph,  on  a  tomb  of  showy  and 
quaint  form  and  structure  now  to  be  seen  in  the  ceme- 
tery of  St.  Louis,  describes  Dominique  Tou  as  a  warrior 
who  had  signalized  his  valor  in  a  hundred  combats  on 
sea  and  land,  wlio  was  a  modem  Bayard  sans  pew  et 
sans  r&proche^  who  could  calmly  face  the  destruction  of 


THE  RALLY. 

the  world,  was  not  more  hyperbolical  than  epitaphs 
usually  are.*  You  was  a  warrior  by  nature,  by  taste, 
and  habit.  He  was  no  more  a  pirate  than  Paul  Jones. 
He  abhorred  cruelty,  meanness  and  cowardice.  Long 
after  the  events  we  are  now  describing,  he  continued  to 
reside  in  the  city — which  he  had  aided  to  save,  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him,  and  when  he  died,  his  remains 
were  followed  to  the  grave  by  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  impressive  funeral  processions  ever  witnessed  in 
Iliew  Orleans.  If  we  needed  further  testimonials  of  his 
merit,  of  the  grossness  of  the  calumny,  which  seeks  to 
identify  him  with  deeds  of  piracy,  robbery  and  cruelty, 
it  may  be  found  in  the  fact  that  when,  some  years  after 
the  war,  the  illustrious  Jackson  visited  this  scene  of  his 
glory,  almost  his  first  inquiry  was  for  his  "  old  friend 
Dominique."  And  that  on  no  occasion  did  that  great 
and  good  man  seem  better  pleased  than  when  sitting 
at  the  hospitable  breakfast  table  of  his  famous  artillerist, 
misnamed  the  "  Pirate  Dominique." 

Bluche,  the  other  commander  of  the  Baratarians,  was 
a  Creole  by  birth.  He  is  now  a  commodore  in  the 
Yenezuelian  Navy.  Bluche  was  a  tall,  imposing  look- 
ing man,  full  of  valor,  enterprise  and  fond  of  adventure. 
Such  men  could  not  have  been  pirates  in  the  ordinary 
and  proper  sense  of  the  word. 

They  organized  out  of  the  Baratarians  two  excellent 
artillery  companies,  whose  services  will  appear  here- 
after. Other  Baratarians  enlisted  in  other  corps,  or 
were  stationed  in  the  various  forts  guarding  the  ap- 
proaches of  the  city. 

*  "  Intr£pide  guerrler  »ur  la  terre  et  snr  1'onde, 
II  sut  dans  cents  combats  signaler  sa  valeur. 
Et  ce  nouveau  Bayard,  sans  reproche  et  sans  peur, 
Aurait  pu  gang  trembler  voir  n'ccouler  le  mondc." 


14:8          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

New  Orleans  was  now  a  camp.  All  day  and  night 
the  streets  resounded  with  martial  airs — with  the  war- 
songs  of  the  young  Creole  soldiers — many  of  them  sons 
of  the  old  Republicans  of  '89  and  '93 — with  all  the  notes 
of  warlike  preparation,  indicating  the  thoroughly  aroused 
spirit  and  enthusiasm  of  the  people,  and  their  firm  deter- 
mination to  resist  to  the  last  the  invader  who  was  ad- 
vancing so  rapidly  and  resolutely  upon  the  city.  In- 
stead of  gloom,  anxiety  and  fear,  no  other  expression 
could  be  observed  in  the  countenances  of  all  classes  of 
citizens,  but  that  of  confidence,  courage,  and  heroic 
resolve.  The  old  and  young,  male  and  female,  bond 
and  free,  all  shared  the  universal  enthusiasm  and  war- 
like spirit.  The  bright  smiles  of  beauty  fell  in  rosy 
showers  upon  the  gallant  volunteers,  as  with  measured 
tread  they  paraded  the  streets.  Mothers  regarded  with 
proud  joy  their  beardless  sons,  who,  with  scarce  the 
strength  to  bear  up  under  the  weight  of  fowling-pieces, 
were  sturdily  and  bravely  fulfilling  the  duties  of  regular 
soldiers  and  of  full-grown  men.  Wives  hugged  closer 
their  little  ones  to  their  throbbing  bosoms,  as  peeping 
forth  with  mingled  pride  and  anxiety  from  half-closed 
windows,  they  beheld  their  husbands — not  so  intent  on 
their  military  duties  that  they  could  not  cast  fond 
glances  at  those  dear  pledges  of  affection,  of  devotion, 
and  patriotism. 

The  venerable  priests  and  ministers  of  God  stretched 
forth  their  hands  and  blessed  the  servants  in  a  good 
cause,  imploring  for  them  the  aid  and  protection  of  the 
Almighty  in  maintaining  the  honor,  the  rights  and  liber- 
ties of  a  free  people.  Little  boys,  catching  the  prevail- 
ing enthusiasm,  formed  themselves  into  companies,  mim- 
icking their  fathers  and  grown  brothers,  and  marched 


THE   RALLY.  149 

the  streets  in  military  array,  to  the  music  of  toy  drums, 
and  charging  numerous  imaginary  bands  of  capotes 
rouges,  performed  prodigies  of  valor  to  the  great  delight 
of  admiring  fathers  and  the  discomfort  of  anxious 
mothers.  With  equal  ardor  the  African  slaves,  appre- 
ciating the  kind  and  paternal  authority  under  which 
they  lived,  in  so  much  comfort  and  happiness,  entered 
into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion  and  labored  incessantly 
on  the  various  works  ordered  by  Jackson,  and  in  burn- 
ishing the  arms,  and  preparing  the  munitions  of  their 
masters. 

Such  was  the  frame  of  mind  into  which  one  man, 
and  he  a  stranger,  could  -in  a  few  days  mould  a  large 
and  discordant  population.  Such  are  the  electric  effects 
of  true  genius  and  heroism !  Such  results  alone  would 
proclaim  Jackson  a  chief  and  leader  among  men.  The 
blaze  of  a  victory,  won  by  a  powerful  effort  of  courage, 
skill  and  prowess  must  pale  before  the  greater  splendor 
of  such  achievements  as  these,  by  which  weakness  is 
converted  into  strength,  harmony  is  educed  from  discord, 
order  from  chaos,  and  even  the  errors  and  weaknesses  of 
men  are  made  subservient  to  a  great  and  glorious  end. 
It  was  for  such  deeds  the  sagacious  Komans  assigned  a 
crown  of  far  more  lustre  and  value  than  the  laurel 
chaplet  of  the  triumphant  warrior.  And  yet  during  all 
these  exciting  events,  Jackson  had  barely  the  strength 
to  stand  erect  without  support ;  his  body  was  sustained 
alone  by  the  spirit  within.  Ordinary  men  would  have 
shrunk  into  feeble  imbeciles,  or  useless  invalids  under 
such  a  pressure.  The  disease  contracted  in  the  swamps 
of  Alabama  still  clung  to  him.  Reduced  to  a  mere 
skeleton,  unable  to  digest  his  food,  and  unrefreshed  by 
sleep,  his  life  seemed  to  be  preserved  by  some  miracii* 


150          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Ions  agency.  There,  in  the  parlor  of  his  headquarters 
on  Royal  street,  surrounded  by  his  faithful  and  efficient 
aids,  he  worked  day  and  night,  organizing  his  forces, 
dispatching  orders,  receiving  reports,  and  making  all 
the  necessary  arrangements  for  the  defence  of  the 
city. 

Jackson  was  thus  engaged  at  half-past  one  o'clock 
P.M.  on  the  23d  of  December,  1814,  when  his  attention 
was  drawn  from  certain  documents  he  was  carefully 
reading,  by  the  sound  of  horses  galloping  down  the 
streets  with  more  rapidity  than  comported  with  the 
order  of  a  city  under  martial  law.  The  sounds  ceased 
at  the  door  of  his  headquarters  and  the  sentinel  on  duty 
announced  the  arrival  of  three  gentlemen  who  desired 
to  see  the  General  immediately,  having  important  intel- 
ligence to  communicate.  "  Show  them  in,"  ordered  the 
General.  The  visitors  proved  to  be  Mr.  Dussau  De  la 
Croix,  Major  Gabriel  Yillere  and  Colonel  de  la  Ronde. 
They  were  stained  with  mud  and  nearly  breathless  with 
the  rapidity  of  their  ride. 

"TV  hat  news  do  you  bring,  gentlemen  ?"  eagerly  asked 
the  General. 

"  Important !  highly  important !"  responded  Mr.  De 
la  Croix.  "  The  British  have  arrived  at  Yillere's  plan- 
tation, nine  miles  below  the  city,  and  are  there  encamped. 
Here  is  Major  Yillere,  who  was  captured  by  them,  has 
escaped,  and  will  now  relate  his  story."  The  Major 
accordingly  detailed  in  a  clear  and  perspicuous  manner 
the  occurrences  we  have  related  in  the  preceding  chap- 
ter, employing  his  mother  tongue,  the  French  language, 
which  De  la  Croix  translated  to  the  General.  At  the 
close  of  Major  Yillere's  narrative,  the  General  drew  up 
his  figure,  bowed  with  disease  and  weakness,  to  its  full 


THE 'RALLY.  161 

height,  and  with  an  eye  of  fire  and  an  emphatic  blow 
upon  the  table  with  his  clenched  fist,  exclaimed, 

"  By  the  Eternal,  they  shall  not  sleep  on  our  soil !" 
Then  courteously  inviting  his  visitors  to  refresh  them- 
selves, and  sipping  a  glass  of  wine  in  compliment  to 
them,  he  turned  to  his  Secretary  and  aids  and  remark- 
ed :  "  Gentlemen,  the  British  are  below,  we  must  fight 
them  to-night."* 

*  A  controversy  arose  some  three  or  four  years  ago,  at  the  time  of  General  Gabrtel 
Viller6's  death,  as  to  the  correctness  of  the  general  belief  that  the  first  announcement 
of  the  arrival  of  the  British  was  made  by  Major  (afterwards)  General  VlUerS.  The 
following  card,  which  was  published  in  one  of  the  city  papers,  sets  up  a  new  claim  to 
tliis  merit. 

[Communicated.'] 

To  th«  Editor  .'—Having  seen  an  error  committed  by  Mr.  Marigny,  the  author  of  the 
obituary  notice  of  William  G.  VilleriS,  I  request  you  to  insert  in  the  Louisiana  Courier 
the  following  details  touching  the  arrival  of  the  English  at  New  Orleans. 

The  English  came  to  Mr.  VUlerS's  plantation  on  the  23d  December,  1814,  between 
twelve  and  one  o'clock.  As  well  aa  I  can  recollect,  some  officers  who  preceded  the 
army,  took  Major  Villeru  prisoner.  As  I  was  passing  along  at  the  time,  I  made  all  haste 
to  give  information  to  Mr.  Ducros,  who  was  posted  on  Mr.  Jumonville's  plantation. 
Captain  Ducros  said  to  me.  "  As  you  are  on  horseback,  go  to  the  city  and  let  General 
Jackson  know  that  the  English  are  on  Viller6's  plantation."  I  set  out  immediately, 
and  passed,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  English  to  stop  me.  I  reached  Mr.  Bien- 
venu's  plantation ;  my  horse  being  unable  to  go  any  further,  Mr.  Bienvenu, 
sen.,  procured  for  me  the  horse  of  a  dragoon  who  was  sick  in  bed  at  his  house,  and  I 
went  to  General  Jackson's  quarters  in  the  city  and  gaTe  him  the  news.  A  few  minutes 
afterwards,  three  discharges  of  cannon  gave  the  alarm,  and  drums  beat  to  arms 
through  the  streets.  I  remained  in  the  city  one  or  two  hours,  hunting  for  a  musket,  so 
that  I  might  join  one  or  other  of  the  companies;  but  no  gun  could  be  had.  Then,  be- 
lieving that  my  company  had  crossed  the  river  in  a  flat  belonging  to  Mr.  Danois,  I  re- 
solved to  descend  along  the  right  bank  of  the  river.  While  on  my  way,  I  met  Major 
Viller6  about  two  miles  below,  opposite  the  widow  Blenvenu's  plantation.  Mr.  Villerd 
related  in  what  way  he  had  escaped  from  the  English,  and  said  he  had  left  my  com- 
pany on  Mr.  Caselard's  plantation.  We  then  parted ;  he  pursued  his  way  to  town, 
and  I  went  on  to  Mr.  Caselard's  plantation,  where  I  found  my  company.  Mr.  Caselard 
crossed  us  over  in  a  flat-boat,  and  we  arrived  at  the  left  bank  as  the  army  was  march- 
ing along  to  attack  the  English. 

This  does  not  In  the  least  take  from  the  hardihood  and  heroism  of  Major  Viller6'» 
escape  from  a  band  of  armed  men. 

Any  one  doubting  the  truth  of  this  satement,  may  call  upon  Messrs.  Casimir,  Lacosta, 
Marcel,  Tierville,  Bienvenu,  and  Mr.  Jules  Viller6,  who  all  were  members  of  Captain 
Ducroa'  company.  AUGPSTIN  Koussatu. 

P.  S. — In  1840,  in  presence  of  Mr.  James  W.  Breedlove,  General  Jackson  recognised 
me  as  the  volunteer  who  first  brought  to  him  information  that  the  English  were  on  Mr. 
Villertj's  plantation.  ACQUSTIN  ROUSSBAO. 


152  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Never  was  there  a  bolder  conception !  Never  was 
there  one  which  indicated  greater  courage  and  resolu- 
tion. Here  was  the  practised,  professional,  and  experi- 
enced soldier,  who  had  fought  under  Abercrombie, 
Moore  and  Wellington,  against  the  renowned  veterans 
of  Napoleon,  receiving  a  reproof  and  lesson  of  inesti- 
mable value  from  a  farmer — lawyer — General,  who  had 
never  commanded  a  regiment  of  regular  soldiers  in  his 
life.  Here  was  the  master  stroke  of  a  native  military 
genius.  Had  Keane  been  a  Jackson,  he  would  not  have 
waited  for  the  attack,  which  the  latter  now  prepared  to 
make  upon  his  camp.  Had  Jackson  been  a  Keane,  or 
almost  any  other  man,  he  would  as  soon  have  thought 
of  attempting  to  scale  the  heavens,  as  of  instantaneously 
marching  with  his  raw  and  weak  levies  against  the  heroes 
of  Vittoria,  of  Badajoz,  and  Salamanca. 

"What  were  his  resources  for  so  daring  an  enterprise  ? 
On  the  18th  we  have  seen  that  he  had  in  the  city  only 
the  Louisiana  militia  and  the  regulars,  the  latter  num- 
bering eight  hundred  and  eighty-four  men,  including 
Col.  McRea's  artillery.  The  regulars  were  the  44th, 
under  Col.  Ross,  and  the  fall,  under  Major  Peire. 

From  the  18th  he  had  received  daily  accessions.  First 
came  a  fine  troop  of  horse  from  Mississippi,  organized 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  Territory,  including  many 

The  truth  of  the  latter  part  of  this  statement,  Is  supported  by  Colonel  James  W. 
Breedlove,  formerly  collector  for  the  port  of  New  Orleans,  who  declares  that  he  was 
present  in  1840,  when  Mr.  Rousseau  was  recognized  by  General  Jackson,  as  the  person 
who  brought  him  the  first  information  that  a  portion  of  the  British  army  had  landed 
and  was  then  at  Viller6's  plantation.  General  Casimir  Lacosta,  Paymaster  General  of 
the  State,  also  certifies  to  the  truth  of  Mr.  Rousseau's  statement. 

On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Jules  Viller6  and  Mr.  Dussau  De  la  Croix  published  counter- 
statements,  declaring  their  non-recollection  of  the  facts  stated  by  Mr.  Rousseau,  and 
vouching  for  the  truth  of  the  statement  which  we  have  adopted,  without,  however, 
assuming  to  determine  which  of  the  two  parties  gave  the  first  information  of  tht 
Arrival  of  the  British. 


THE   BALLY.    -  153 

Louisianians  as  well  as  Mississippians.  It  was  com- 
manded by  that  impetuous  and  gallant  officer,  Major 
Hinds.  This  reinforcement  was  closely  followed  by  the 
greater  part  of  Coffee's  brigade,  which  had  performed 
the  remarkable  and  tedious  march  from  Fort  Jackson, 
on  the  Alabama,  around  the  lake,  to  the  Mississippi 
river,  which  they  reached  by  the  old  Spanish  road,  at 
Sandy  creek,  a  few  miles  above  Baton  Rouge.  Hasten- 
ing to  this  town,  Coffee  found  there  a  messenger  from 
Jackson,  acquainting  him  with  the  capture  of  the  gun- 
boats, and  directing  him  to  push  forward  with  all  rapid- 
ity, leaving  his  sick  and  baggage  at  Baton  Rouge. 
Coffee  immediately  selected  all  his  strong  men  and 
horses,  and  with  them  started  for  New  Orleans  in  a 
brisk  trot.  In  two  days  he  reached  the  suburbs  of  the 
city,  having,  in  that  time,  marched  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles,  with  men  and  animals  who  had  just  per- 
formed a  wearisome  journey  of  eight  hundred  miles 
through  a  wilderness.  There  is  no  march  to  equal  this 
in  the  history  of  modern  warfare.  Encamping  on  the 
Avart  plantation,  just  above  the  city,  Coffee  rode  to 
town  to  report  to  Jackson. 

It  was  a  warm  meeting  between  these  two  gallant 
soldiers,  who  had  shared  so  many  perils  and  hardships, 
and  passed  through  so  many  eventful  scenes  together. 
Coffee  was  in  the  meridian  of  life,  not  having  reached 
his  fortieth  year.  A  native  of  North  Carolina,  he  had 
settled,  in  early  youth,  in  Tennessee,  where  he  formed  a 
friendship  for  Jackson,  which  lasted  during  their  lives, 
and  may  now  be  read  in  a  beautiful  epitaph,  written  by 
Jackson  on  the  tomb  in  which  the  remains  of  his  gallant 
associate,  the  "  right  arm  "  of  his  army,  were  deposited 

7* 


JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

in  the  year  1836,  in  a  family  burying-ground  near  the 
pretty  village  of  Florence,  Alabama.* 

Coffee  was  a- man  of  noble  aspect,  tall  and  herculean 
in  frame,  yet  not  destitute  of  a  certain  natural  dignity 
and  ease  of  manner.  Though  of  great  height  and 
weight,  his  appearance  on  horseback,  mounted  on  a  fine 
Tennessee  thorough-bred,  was  striking  and  impressive. 
Coffee  brought  with  him  less  than  eight  hundred  men. 
They  were,  however,  admirable  soldiers,  who  had  been 
hardened  by  long  service,  possessed  remarkable  endu- 
rance, and  that  useful  quality  of  soldiers,  of  taking  care 
of  themselves  in  any  emergency.  They  were  all  prac- 
ticed marksmen,  who  thought  nothing  of  bringing  down 
a  squirrel  from  the  top  of  the  loftiest  tree  with  their 
rifles.  Their  appearance,  however,  was  not  very  mili- 
tary. In  their  woollen  hunting-shirts,  of  dark  or  dingy 
color,  and  copperas-dyed  pantaloons,  made,  both  cloth 
and  garments,  at  home,  by  their  wives,  mothers  and  sis- 
ters, with  slouching  wool  hats,  some  composed  of  the 
skins  of  raccoons  and  foxes,  the  spoils  of  the  chase,  to 
which  they  were  addicted  almost  from  infancy — with 
belts  of  un tanned  deer-skin,  in  which  were  stuck  hunt- 
ing-knives and  tomahawks — with  their  long  unkempt 
hair  and  unshorn  faces,  Coffee's  men  were  not  calculated 

*  The  epitaph  on  the  tomb  of  the  late  General  John  Coffee,  written  by  Gen.  Andrew 
Jackson : 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Gen.  John  Coffee,  who  departed  this  life  on  the  7th  day  of 
July,  A.  D.  1883,  aged  61  years.  As  a  husband,  parent  and  friend,  he  was  affectionate, 
tender  and  sincere.  He  was  a  brave,  prompt  and  skillful  general,  a  disinterested  and 
sagacious  patriot,  an  unpretending,  just  and  honest  man.  To  complete  his  character, 
religion  mingled  with  these  virtues  her  serene  and  holy  influence,  and  gave  him  that 
solid  distinction  among  his  fellow-men,  which  detraction  cannot  sully,  nor  the  grave 
conceal.  Death  could  do  no  more  than  remove  so  excellent  a  being  from  the  theatre  he 
BO  much  adorned,  in  this  world,  to  the  bosom  of  the  God  who  created  him,  and  who 
alone  haa  the  power  to  reward  the  immortal  spirit  with  exhaustless  bliss. 


THE   BALLY.  155 

to  please  the  eyes  of  the  martinet,  of  one  accustomed 
to  regard  neatness  and  primness,  as  essential  virtues  of 
the  good  soldier.  The  British  were  not  far  wrong  when 
they  spoke  of  them  as  "  a  posse  comitatus,  wearing 
broad  beavers,  armed  with  long  duck  guns."  But  the 
sagacious  judge  of  human  nature  could  not  fail  to  per- 
ceive beneath  their  rude  exterior  those  qualities,  which, 
in  defensive  warfare  at  least,  are  far  more  formidable 
than  the  practised  skill  and  discipline  of  regulars. 

Coffee's  men  were  hardly  established  in  camp,  before 
Carroll,  another  of  Jackson's  favorite  officers,  arrived 
at  the  levee  before  the  city,  with  a  number  of  barges 
and  flat-boats  full  of  men.  These  were  the  Tennessee 
militia,  for  whom  Jackson  had  made  requisition  in  Sep- 
tember preceding.  Carroll  had  used  the  greatest  activ- 
ity and  diligence,  but  was  unable  to  procure  a  sufficient 
number  of  boats  to  transport  his  troops,  who  assembled 
in  a  few  days  after  the  call  was  published  to  march  fif- 
teen hundred  miles  from  their  homes  to  defend  a  distant 
point  of  the  [Republic.  He  was,  therefore,  subjected  to 
the  most  vexatious  delays.  Even  when  he  had  suc- 
ceeded in  collecting  a  goodly  number  of  rude  barges, 
flats  and  rafts,  many  of  his  men  were  without  arms  and 
equipments.  Carroll's  Division  left  Nashville  on  the 
19th  of  November.  It  appears  like  an  interposition  of 
Divine  Providence,  that  just  before  Carroll  embarked 
on  the  Cumberland,  that  river,  which  is  seldom  boata- 
ble  at  that  season  of  the  year,  was  suddenly  swelled  by 
unexpected  rains  and  torrents.  Another  fortunate  event 
happened  to  the  great  relief  of  the  gallant  Tennesseeans. 
On  their  passage  down  the  Mississippi,  they  intercepted 
certain  boats  having  on  board  arms  and  munitions, 
which  were  leisurely  proceeding  down  the  Mississippi 


166          JACKSON  AND  NEW  OBLEANS. 

from  Pittsburg,  In  charge  of  Government  employes, 
of  which  the  Tennesseeans  took  possession.  But  for  this 
accident,  Carroll  would  have  reached  the  city  with  an 
unarmed  crowd  of  men,  brave  and  devoted,  but  utterly 
inefficient  and  useless  for  the  want  of  the  most  ordinary 
weapons  of  war.  As  it  was,  however,  he  brought  into 
camp  on  the  evening  of  the  22d  of  December,  a  regi- 
ment of  young  and  inexperienced  soldiers,  but  skillful 
marksmen,  who  were  eager  for  any  service  however  try- 
ing and  perilous.  They  were  fortunate  in  their  com- 
mander. 

Carroll,  though  quite  a  young  man,  had,  by  the  force 
of  his  character,  his  decided  military  qualities,  and 
many  popular  traits,  attained  high  distinction  and  influ- 
ence at  Nashville,  to  which  place  he  had  emigrated 
some  years  before,  an  industrious  and  skillful  artisan 
from  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  in  the  prime 
of  manhood,  and  had  seen  much  hard  service  under  his 
devoted  friend  and  companion  in  arms,  Andrew  Jack- 
son. In  person,  Carroll  was  of  the  ordinary  height,  of 
stout,  compact,  muscular  form,  upright  and  soldierly  in 
his  bearing  and  carriage.  The  same  inflexible  devotion 
and  friendship  continued  through  life  to  mark  the  rela- 
tions of  Jackson  and  Carroll.  More  than  once  did  they 
risk  their  lives  for  one  another.  Even  at  the  time  of 
which  we  write,  Jackson  was  suffering  from  a  cruel 
wound  received  in  a  personal  rencontre  which  grew  out 
of  a  quarrel  in  which  Carroll  was  one  of  the  principals. 

This  was  Jackson's  whole  force  when  it  was  announced 
to  him  that  the  British  were  but  nine  miles  off.  At  the 
very  moment  when  Yillere  communicated  the  startling 
intelligence,  to  wit,  at  half-past  one  o'clock,  p.  M.,  on 
the  twenty-third  of  December,  this  small  force  was  scat- 


THE  BALLY.  157 

tered  as  follows :  Plauche's  battalion  was  at  the  Bayou 
St.  John,  two  miles  from  the  headquarters ;  Coffee  was 
at  Avart,  five  miles  off ;  the  Louisiana  militia  and  half 
of  the  free  colored  battalion  were  on  Gentilly  road,  three 
miles  off,  the  Kegulars  were  at  Fort  St.  Charles  and  in  the 
barracks  in  the  city.  These  various  posts  embraced  remote 
points  in  an  area  of  eight  or  nine  miles.  Apprehending 
that  the  British  might  creep  up  through  the  upper 
branch  of  the  Bienvenu,  Jackson's  first  act  was  to  dis- 
patch Carroll  to  that  point,  to  command  the  head  of  the 
stream.  Further  up  on  the  Gentilly  road,  Governor 
Claiborne  was  stationed  with  the  State  militia.  He  next 
ordered  Coffee's  brigade,  Plauche's  and  Daquin's  bat- 
talions, Hind's  dragoons,  and  the  Orleans  rifles  to  break 
up  their  camps  and  proceed  to  Montreuil's,  plantation 
below  the  city,  where  they  would  be  joined  by  the  reg- 
ulars, and  march  against  the  enemy.  Commodore  Pat- 
terson, who  was  at  Fort  St.  John,  was  ordered  to  hurry 
up  to  the  city  and  get  the  Caroline  under  weigh,  with 
a  view  of  co-operating  in  the  attack. 

In  issuing  these  orders,  the  General  used  no  unneces- 
sary words,  even  of  incitement  or  encouragement ;  the 
time  was  past  for  such  stimulants ;  they  were  not  now 
necessary.  The  promptitude  and  daring  of  his  conduct, 
the  unbounded  confidence  which  he  manifested  in  their 
valor  and  devotion,  were  eloquent  enough  to  strengthen 
the  hearts  and  nerve  the  courage  of  his  men. 

Completing  these  arrangements,  and  resolving  upon 
his  plan  of  attack,  Jackson  took  a  hasty  repast,  and  then 
reclining  his  exhausted  frame  upon  a  sofa,  sought  a  few 
moments'  rest. 

The  Cathedral  clock  had  struck  three  o'clock,  p.  M., 
when,  from  every  quarter  of  the  city  and  suburbs,  troops 


158          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

were  seen  hurrying  to  the  Fort  St.  Charles — the  lower 
fort  of  the  city,  now  the  site  of  the  United  States  Branch 
Mint.  This  was  the  general  rendezvous,  or  point  of  de- 
parture for  all  the  troops.  Jackson  was  early  on  the 
ground  to  observe  and  animate  the  various  corps.  His 
position  was  in  front  of  the  gates  of  the  fort.  Near 
him,  drawn  up  with  admirable  precision,  were  the  com- 
pact lines  of  the  Mth  Regulars,  a  fine  regiment  of 
newly  raised  but  highly-disciplined  men,  commanded 
by  Capt.  Baker,  a  young  but  efficient  officer,  and  num- 
bering 331  muskets.  Peire,  with  the  7th  infantry  (465 
muskets),  a  detachment  of  marines,  60  strong,  two  six- 
pounders,  and  twenty-two  artillerists,  under  Col.  McRea 
and  Lieut.  Spotts  of  the  artillery,  had  already  been  sent 
forward  to  occupy  the  road  below  the  city.  They  were 
preceded  in  their  march  by  a  company  of  sharpshooters, 
with  long  rifles,  blue  hunting-shirts,  and  citizen's  hats, 
who  advanced  with  unusual  vivacity  and  rapidity,  eager 
to  be  the  first  on  the  field  to  meet  the  foe. 

This  was  the  famous  corps  of  Beale's  Rifles.  It  was 
composed  of  picked  men,  leading  merchants  and  pro- 
fessional characters  of  the  city,  who  had  formed  them- 
selves into  a  volunteer  corps,  and  solicited  the  post  of 
danger  in  the  coming  contest.  One  of  the  officers  of 
this  corps  was  Judge  Joshua  Lewis,  of  the  First  District 
Court  of  New  Orleans,  who  laid  aside  the  judicial  robes 
to  fulfill  the  duties  of  the  patriot  and  soldier.  The  mem- 
bers of  this  gallant  corps  were  in  the  flower  of  youth. 
The  neatness  of  their  equipments,  the  intelligence  of 
their  countenances,  and  the  ready  promptitude  of  their 
movements,  showed  that  they  were  no  ordinary  soldiers. 
They  were  all  expert  in  the  use  of  the  rifle. 

Between  the  Rifles  and  the  Tennessee  mounted  men 


THE  RALLY.  159 

of  Coffee's  command,  there  grew  up  quite  a  warm 
rivalry,  relative  to  their  comparative  skill  in  the  use  of 
that  fatal  and  favorite  weapon  of  the  American  citizen 
soldier,  the  rifle.  It  is  due  to  history  to  say,  that  when 
the  war  was  over,  and  there  were  no  other  contests  to 
engage  in  but  those  of  honorable  rivalry  among  friends 
and  brothers,  this  controversy  was  brought  to  a  satisfac- 
tory test  and  conclusion  by  a  trial  of  skill,  which  resulted 
in  favor  of  "the  crack  shot"  of  Beale's  Rifles. 

Presently,  a  heavy  cloud  of  dust  on  the  levee,  and 
the  rumbling  sound  of  many  feet  striking  the  earth, 
announced  the  approach  of  a  considerable  cavalry  force 
from  the  upper  limit  of  the  city.  Emerging  from  this 
dust,  and  dashing  up  at  a  hand  gallop,  Hind's  dragoons 
announced  their  presence,  and  delighted  the  eye  of  the 
General  by  their  gallant,  dare-devil  bearing. 

Then  followed,  moving  in  a  rapid  trot,  the  long  line 
of  Coffee's  mounted  gunmen,  who,  from  their  careless 
carriage,  outre  dress,  and  singular  equipments,  presented 
more  the  aspect  of  backwoodsmen,  going  out  on  a  "  deer 
drive  "  or  bear  hunt,  than  of  soldiers  marching  against 
the  veteran  warriors  of  Wellington.  At  their  head  rode 
their  gallant  leader,  who,  halting  his  column  when  it 
arrived  in  front  of  Jackson's  position,  advanced  to  the 
general-in-chief  and  held  a  brief  conversation  with  him. 
Then  quickly  resuming  his  position  in  front  of  the  col- 
umn, in  a  loud  voice  he  gave  the  order  to  "forward  at  a 
gallop ;"  and,  setting  the  example  himself,  started  off  at 
a  brisk  pace,  which,  being  followed  by  his  command, 
soon  carried  them  out  of  sight. 

These  corps  had  hardly  disappeared,  before  a  dark 
and  varie-colored  mass  of  men  was  seen  moving  rapidly 
down  one  of  the  cross-streets,  towards  the  left  of  the 


160  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

44th.  "  Ah  !  there  come  the  brave  Creoles,"  exclaimed 
Jackson  to  one  of  his  Aids,  whose  handsome  countenance 
lit  up  with  a  proud  and  joyful  expression  at  this  com- 
pliment to  his  own  race,  of  whose  noble  traits  the  gal- 
lant and  enthusiastic  Devezac  was  a  fine  embodiment. 
This  was  Plauche's  battalion,  which  had  run  the  whole 
distance  from  the  Bayou  St.  John  to  join  the  column  of 
attack.  Many  of  the  battalion  were  delicate  young 
Creoles,  mere  boys  in  age  and  strength ;  and  yet  they 
bore  their  heavy  muskets  and  knapsacks  with  as  much 
alacrity  as  practiced  veterans.  With  their  gay  and 
various  uniforms,  characterized  by  that  good  taste  and 
regard  for  proportion  and  effect,  which  distinguish  the 
French  race — with  their  bold,  handsome  countenances, 
and  uniform  size,  the  Orleans  Battalion  was  certainly  a 
corps  of  which  any  commander  might  be  justly  proud. 

In  the  rear  of  this  battalion  was  the  corps  df  freemen 
of  color,  under  the  command  of  Major  Daquin,  a  gal- 
lant and  effective  force,  well  officered,  and  capable  of 
any  service. 

Jackson  had  now  seen  his  whole  disposable  force 
march  by.  "We  must  not  forget,  however,  to  add  that 
there  was  a  small  band  of  Choctaw  Indians,  under 
Captain  Jugeat,  attached  to  the  column. 

The  simple  order  to  the  troops  was  to  hurry  as  rapidly 
as  possible  to  Canal  Rodriguez,  six  miles  below  the  city, 
and  there  take  up  position  and  prepare  to  advance  upon 
the  enemy.  With  vivacity,  but  without  noise  or  parade, 
the  troops  moved  forward.  As  they  advanced  along 
the  levee  hundreds  of  snowy  handkerchiefs  were  waved 
towards  them,  and  bright  eyes  from  every  window  and 
balcony  cheered  their  hearts  and  warmed  their  courage. 
Unlike  the  females  in  most  beleaguered  cities,  the 


THE  BALLY.  161 

women  of  New  Orleans,  instead  of  flying  into  the 
country  for  protection  and  safety  against  an  approaching 
army  of  invaders,  whose  shameful  excesses  on  the  Pen- 
insula, and  the  shores  of  the  Chesapeake,  gave  but  little 
hope  that  they  would  be  restrained  within  any  bounds 
of  decency  and  humanity,  remained  at  home  to  share 
the  perils  and  sufferings  of  their  husbands,  sons  and 
brothers,  and  to  give  their  aid,  their  cheering  presence, 
and  their  gentle  consolations  in  the  great  emergency. 

On  that  very  day,  a  number  of  the  ladies  of  the  city 
met  at  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Cenas,  at  present  the  con- 
sort of  Colonel  William  Christy,  himself  a  veteran  of 
1814-'15,  for  the  purpose  of  plying  their  needles  in  the 
noble  task  of  preparing  clothing  for  the  soldiers  of  Jack- 
son's army,  many  of  whom  arrived  on  tho  levee  in  a 
very  ragged  and  destitute  condition.  Whilst  they  were 
thus  busily  engaged,  the  news  was  brought  into  the 
room  that  the  enemy  had  just  landed,  and  were  march- 
ing on  the  city.  Of  course  the  ladies  were  a  little  ner- 
vous at  first,  when  the  alarming  intelligence  was  com- 
municated, but  Mrs.  Cenas  remarked  that  they  need  be 
under  no  fear  as  long  as  they  had  Jackson  to  defend 
them.  At  the  suggestion,  however,  of  one  of  the  party, 
a  message  was  dispatched  by  the  ladies  to  the  General, 
inquiring  "  what  they  were  to  do,  in  case  the  city  was 
attacked  ?"  "  Say  to  the  ladies,"  Jackson  promptly  re- 
plied, "  not  to  be  uneasy.  No  British  soldier  shall  enter 
the'  city  as  an  enemy,  unless  over  my  dead  body." 
Never  was  pledge  more  faithfully  or  literally  kept. 
British  soldiers  did  enter  the  city,  but  it  was  in  such  a 
plight  as  gave  full  employment  for  the  noble  charity  of 
these  ladies,  who  nursed  and  comforted  them,  with  the 


162          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

same  care  and  kindness  which  they  extended  to  their 
own  wounded  countrymen. 

We  should  not  forget  to  add,  that  many  of  these 
ladies,  on  hearing  of  the  approach  of  the  British,  pro- 
vided themselves  with  daggers,  which  they  wore  in  the 
same  belt  to  which  their  needle  cases  were  attached. 
The  rumored  war-cry  of  the  British — "Beauty  and 
Booty  " — had  nerved  their  hearts  to  a  desperate  resolve, 
which,  in  case  the  brutal  threat  had  been  attempted, 
would  have  rendered  this  city  as  illustrious  for  female 
devotion  and  heroism,  as  Saragossa,  or  old  Home  in  her 
palmy  days. 

The  soldiers  had  all  moved  out  of  sight,  still  Jackson 
maintained  his  position  on  the  levee.  It  was  evident 
that  his  programme  was  not  complete.  The  anxious 
glances  which  he  threw  across  the  river  betrayed  some 
solicitude.  At  last,  however,  the  frown  faded  from  his 
brow,  as  he  observed  a  small,  dark  schooner  cast  off 
from  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  and  begin  to  float 
slowly  down  with  the  current.  This  was  the  Carolina, 
with  Commodore  Patterson,  Captainllenly,  and  a  gal- 
lant band  of  seamen  on  board.  Then  Jackson  put 
spurs  to  his  charger,  and,  accompanied  by  his  aids, 
Captains  Butler,  Reid,  Chotard,  and  Messrs.  Livingston, 
Duplessis  and  Davezac,  galloped  rapidly  down  the  road 
which  had  been  followed  by  his  little  army. 

Jackson's  plan  of  attack  was  simple,  judicious  and 
practical.  The  Carolina  was  ordered  to  drop  down  in 
front  of  the  British  camp,  and,  anchoring  at  musket- 
shot,  to  open  her  batteries  upon  them  at  half-past  seven 
o'clock.  At  this  signal,  the  right,  under  Jackson,  con- 
sisting of  the  regulars,  Plauche  and  Daquin's  battalions, 
McRea's  artillery  and  the  Marines,  was  to  push  forward, 


TIIE   ATTACK.  163 

being  guided  by  Major  Villere,  who  volunteered  for  the 
occasion,  and  attack  the  enemy's  camp  near  the  river. 
Whilst  they  were  thus  engaged,  Coffee,  under  the 
guidance  of  Colonel  De  la  Ronde,  was  ordered  with  his 
Brigade,  with  Hind's  Dragoons  and  Beale's  Rifles,  to 
scout  the  edge  of  the  swamp,  and  advancing  as  far  as 
was  safe,  to  endeavor  to  cut  off  the  communications  of 
the  enemy  with  the  Lake,  and  thus  hem  in,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, capture  or  destroy  them. 

Such  was  the  simple  plan  of  the  battle  of  the  23d  of 
December,  1814. 


164         JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 


IX. 

BATTLE   OP  THE  TWENTY-THIRD   OF  DECEMBER,    1814, 

FOR  some  hours  after  the  British  were  encamped  on 
the  levee,  all  was  well  with  them.  Scouting  parties, 
which  had  been  sent  in  every  direction,  reported  that  no 
enemy  could  be  seen  or  heard  of.  After  posting  a  strong 
advance  of  the  95th  Rifles  far  up  the  road,  and  pickets 
at  every  approach  to  the  camp,  Keane  felt  tolerably 
comfortable,  and  determined  to  wait  patiently  for  the 
arrival  of  the  other  two  brigades,  for  which  the  boats 
had  hurried  back  immediately  after  the  advance  had 
stepped  ashore.  Thornton  did  not  feel  so  confident. 
He  feared  greatly  that  before  morning  broke  they 
should  have  serious  cause  to  lament  the  folly  of  the 
General  in  halting.  In  earnest  discussion  the  two  offi- 
cers walked  the  gallery  of  General  Villere's  house,  ever 
and  anon  casting  anxious  looks  in  the  direction  of  the 
swamp  and  of  the  road  to  the  city.  Meantime  the  men 
proceeded  to  make  themselves  comfortable  for  the  night. 
Bivouacked  in  the  open  field,  about  two  hundred  yards 
from  the  river,  and  extended  for  a  half  a  mile  along  its 
banks,  they  began  to  light  their  fires  and  cook  their 
suppers.  The  cypress  pickets  made  good  firewood,  and 
camp-kettles  were  soon  brought  into  requisition.  Not 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  23,  1814.         165 

content  with  the  salt  meat  and  rum  allotted  to  them 
by  the  Commissary,  small  parties  were  permitted  to  go 
out  in  pursuit  of  more  desirable  delicacies.  Spreading 
themselves  over  the  country,  as  far  as  was  prudent,  they 
penetrated  every  house,  every  dairy  and  negro  cabin, 
pig-sty  and  poultry-yard,  seized  everything  that  was 
eatable  or  drinkable  and  bore  it  into  camp.  The  officers 
were  allotted  the  first  choice  of  these  luxuries,  which 
consisted  of  ham,  cheese,  poultry,  wine,  brandy,  and 
other  delicacies  with  which  the  houses  of  the  planters 
are  always  abundantly  supplied.  It  may  be  imagined 
with  what  zest  these  wearied  soldiers,  who  had  been  for 
weeks  crowded  in  ships  on  a  long  voyage,  and  whose 
appetites  had  been  greatly  sharpened  by  the  fatigues  of 
the  march,  partook  of  these  rare  comestibles. 

After  satisfying  their  appetites,  the  soldiers  generally 
lay  on  the  ground  to  snatch  a  few  moments  of  sleep. 
It  was  now  about  half-past  four  in  the  afternoon,  and 
the  most  profound  quiet  and  security  reigned  in  the 
British  camp,  when  suddenly  some  excitement  was  per- 
ceived in  front,  at  the  furthest  outpost  on  the  road.  This 
was  produced  by  the  alarm  of  a  sentinel,  who  observed 
some  suspicious  horsemen  approaching  the  post  by  the 
main  road.  The  guard  immediately  mustered,  and  con- 
cealing themselves  behind  the  levee,  waited  until  the 
horsemen  had  approached  within  musket  range,  when 
they  delivered  a  well-directed  volley,  which  killed  one 
of  the  horses  and  wounded  two  of  the  men  of  the  party. 
They  then  wheeled  and  retired  down  the  road.  This 
detachment  proved  to  be  a  scouting  party,  composed  of 
the  Feliciana  Dragoons,  who  had  been  sent  forward  to 
reconnoitre ;  and  one  of  the  wounded  men  was  the  late 


166          JACKSON  A.ND  NEW  OKLEAN8. 

Thomas  Scott,  of  East  Feliciana,  long  a  highly  esteemed 
citizen  of  that  parish,  who  had  the  misfortune  to  be  the 
first  man  of  Jackson's  army,  who  received  a  wound  at 
the  hands  of  the  British. 

An  hour  more  passed,  and  no  other  event  had  occur- 
red to  disturb  the  British,  who  were  now  wide  awake, 
on  the  look-out  for  their  foes.  Just  as  the  sun  was  sink- 
ing behind  the  dark  forests  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
river,  the  outposts  were  again  aroused  by  a  still  more 
formidable  demonstration  in  front.  A  squadron  of 
horse,  at  least  one  hundred  in  number,  were  seen  trot- 
ting boldly  down  the  road.  On  reaching  a  certain  point 
they  suddenly  widened  their  front,  and  scattering  over 
the  field,  charged  boldly  and  fearlessly  towards  the  out- 
posts. The  daring  and  impetuosity  of  these  horsemen 
excited  the  astonishment  of  the  British.  They  said  to 
one  another,  that  they  would  no  longer  have  to  com- 
plain that  they  had  to  hunt  up  the  Americans  to  beat 
them.  They  had  found  an  enemy  who  knew  what  the 
offensive  in  warfare  meant.  Their  new  foes  charged 
their  pickets  as  boldly  as  if  they  had  been  on  the  Penin- 
sula, and  had  crossed  swords  with  Napoleon's  Cuiras- 
siers. Driving  in  the  sentinels,  they  came  down  in  a 
brisk  trot  to  a  ditch,  in  which  a  number  of  the  Rifles 
had  been  posted,  and  halting  at  a  distance  of  one  hun- 
dred yards,  the  officer  in  command  coolly  surveyed  the 
British  position  ;  and  then  wheeling  his  squadron,  gal- 
loped back  towards  the  city,  not  heeding  a  heavy 
volley  which  the  Rifles  sent  after  them.  This  was 
Hind's  troop  of  Horse  which  had  been  sent  as  a  recon- 
noitering  escort  to  Colonel  Hayne,  the  Inspector-General 
of  Jackson's  army,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the 
force  and  position  of  the  enemy. 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  23,  1814.         167 

These  intruders  ^appeared  from  view,  and  solitude 
again  resumed  its  sway  over  the  broad  fields  in  which 
the  British  were  bivouacked.  The  soldiers  repaired  to 
their  agreeable  repasts  and  slumbers.  Darkness  began 
to  gather  over  their  camp.  The  sentinels  were  doubled, 
and  the  officers  walked  the  rounds  with  restless  anxiety. 
But  the  thoughtless  and  careless  men,  intent  only  on 
present  comfort  and  enjoyment,  trimmed  their  fires,  so 
as  to  give  cheerfulness  to  the  scene,  and  reproducing 
the  remnants  of  their  midday  feast,  began  to  make  good 
use  of  their  kettles  and  pans  in  preparation  for  a  com- 
fortable supper.  Many,  too  exhausted  to  eat,  lay  down 
to  sleep.  They  were  not,  however,  entirely  without 
anxiety,  and  for  better  security  their  arms  were  kept 
within  reach,  ready  for  instant  use.  About  seven 
o'clock,  the  attention  of  several  officers  was  drawn  to  a 
vessel  which  was  stealing  slowly  down  the  river.  From 
the  bold  and  careless  manner  in  which  she  approached 
their  camp,  many  of  the  British  thought  that  she  was 
one  of  their  own  cruisers,  which  had  passed  the  Fort, 
and  after  proceeding  a  short  distance  up  stream  to 
observe  the  enemy  ;  had  now  arrived  most  opportunely 
to  cover  their  left  flank  in  their  advance  upon  the  city. 
They  hailed  her— no  answer  was  returned.  Several 
muskets  were  fired,  of  which  she  took  not  the  slightest 
heed.  With  amazing  audacity  the  men  on  board  were 
seen  quietly  fastening  the  sails,  and  the  vessel  continued 
to  sheer  in  close  ashore,  swinging  her  starboard  broad- 
side right  abreast  of  the  camp.  Then  her  anchor  was 
let  loose — a  slight  movement  was  observed  on  board — 
lighted  matches  were  discerned  through  the  darkness, 
and  in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  and  of  a  spectacle, 
which  by  its  mysterious  character  had  made  the  British 


168         JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

speechless  with  astonishment,  a  loud  voice  was  heard 
from  the  ship,  exclaiming,  "  Give  this  for  the  honor  of 
America."  The  words  were  followed  by  a  simultaneous 
flash  from  a  score  of  cannon  and  firearms,  and  a  perfect 
tornado  of  grape-shot  and  musket-balls,  which  swept 
the  levee  and  the  camps  in  the  field,  killing  and  wound- 
ing many  men,  some  of  whom  were  asleep  when  struck, 
and  scattering  their  fires  and  camp  utensils  in  every 
direction.  The  havoc  was  the  more  terrible  from  its 
suddenness.  For  some  minutes  the  British  were  struck 
with  consternation.  Disorder  prevailed  through  the 
camp.  One  of  the  officers  says,  "  they  were  driven  into 
the  most  dire  confusion,  which  caused  a  tenfold  panic. 
The  scene  beggared  all  description.  No  mob  could  be 
in  a  more  utter  state  of  disorganization."  They  were 
mowed  down  by  the  fire  of  an  unseen  and  unknown 
enemy.  Nor  did  the  Carolina — for  it  was  that  vessel, 
with  Commodore  Patterson,  Captain  Henley,  and  an 
efficient  crew,  which  had  dropped  down  so  inoppor- 
tunely on  the  British  camp — give  them  much  time  to 
collect  their  senses.  She  continued  her  fire  with  amaz- 
ing rapidity  and  accuracy,  embracing  in  its  range  the 
whole  area  of  the  field,  in  which  the  British  soldiers  ran 
wildly  to  and  fro,  in  pursuit  of  shelter.  The  rocketers 
on  the  levee  made  a  feeble  effort  to  bring  their  weapons 
to  bear  upon  the  schooner,  but  they  produced  no  effect, 
and  only  elicited  the  jeering  laughter  of  the  sailors  of 
the  Carolina.  Finally,  the  intrepid  Thornton  came  to 
the  rescue  of  his  affrighted  men,  and  ordered  them  to 
leave  the  open  fields,  and  shelter  themselves  under  the 
levee.  Never  was  an  order  more  quickly  obeyed. 
Reaching  the  levee,  the  men  lay  down  at  full  length, 
listening  in  painful  silence  to  the  pattering  of  grape-shot 


BATTLE   OF   DECEMBER   23,    1814:.  169 

in  their  camp,  and  the  shrieks  of  the  wounded  in  the 
field,  who,  unable  to  gain  the  cover,  were  knocked  and 
tossed  about  like  logs  of  wood,  by  the  remorseless  shot 
of  the  schooner. 

It  was  now  so  dark  that  the  men  could  not  discover 
an  object  of  any  size,  more  than  a  few  feet  off.  The 
Carolina  slackened  her  fire,  and  the  prostrate  British 
began  to  breathe  freer,  when  a  new  cause  of  alarm 
arose.  It  was  a  firing  at  their  outposts.  First,  there 
were  a  few  isolated  reports,  evidently  of  the  sentinels. 
Then  came  volleys  of  the  pickets.  These  increased 
every  second,  and  came  from  every  part  of  the  field. 
Finally,  a  blaze  of  fire  seemed  to  encircle  the  camp. 
It  was  evident  they  were  surrounded.  Here  was  appar- 
ent confirmation  of  the  wisdom  of  Keaue's  conduct. 
There  must  be  at  least  twelve  thousand  men  to  justify 
such  an  attack  on  a  camp  of  Peninsular  veterans,  and 
to  cover  and  out-flank  so  large  a  front.  But  there 
was  no  time  for  reflection  or  speculation.  They  were 
surrounded,  and  must  fight  or  yield.  The  latter  was 
never  thought  of. 

With  his  usual  boldness,  Thornton  ordered  the  85th 
and  95th  to  rush  from  under  the  levee,  and  fly  to  the 
support  of  the  pickets,  whilst  the  4th,  stealing  under 
cover  of  the  levee,  formed  on  the  right  bank  of  Villere's 
Canal,  in  front  of  the  headquarters,  so  as  to  act  as  a 
reserve  and  protect  their  communications  with  the  Lake, 
Major  Gubbins  led  the  85th  on  the  right,  and  Major 
Mitchell  the  95th  on  the  left,  whilst  Colonel  Thornton 
directed  the  movements  of  the  whole  force.  They  were 
Boon  engaged  in  one  of  the  fiercest,  most  severely,  and 
evenly-contested  night  combats  that  ever  occurred.  To 

.8 


170  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

comprehend  the  order  of  the  battle,  we  must  follow  the 
movements  of  the  attacking  party. 

Marching  his  men  to  Rodriguez  Canal,  about  two 
miles  from  the  British  camp,  Jackson  made  this  ditch, 
running  perpendicularly  from  the  river  to  the  swamp, 
the  base  of  his  operations.  Coffee  with  eight  hundred 
men,  including  his  mounted  gunmen.  Hind's  Dragoons, 
and  Beale's  rifles,  was  dispatched  towards  the  left,  with 
orders  to  advance  along  the  edge  of  the  swamp,  until 
he  reached  the  boundary  line  between  Lacoste's  and 
Laronde's  ;  and  dismounting  his  men  there  to  leave  his 
horses,  and  push  boldly  forward,  so  as  to  gain  the  ene- 
my's right,  turn  his  position,  break  up  his  communica- 
tions, and  destroy  him.  Waiting  for  a  few  minutes,, 
until  he  could  hear  the  broadside  of  the  Carolina,  whicb 
was  to  be  the  signal  for  the  commencement  of  the  battle, 
and  when  those  joyful  notes,  a  little  before  the  appointed 
hour,  fell  upon  his  ear,  delaying  for  a  few  minutes 
longer,  until  they  could  produce  their  full  effect  upon 
the  enemy,  Jackson  gave  the  order  to  advance. 

The  right  division,  consisting  of  the  regulars,  the  two 
battalions  of  volunteers,  the  artillery  and  the  marines — 
in  all  1,147  muskets — and  two  six  pounders,  and  led  by 
Jackson  himself,  advanced  by  heads  of  companies  as 
near  the  river  as  possible.  The  battle  was  opened  by  a 
company  of  the  7th,  under  Lieutenant  McClelland, 
which,  however,  was  led  by  that  gallant  staff  officer, 
Colonel  Piatt.  This  company,  being  on  the  extreme 
right,  filing  through  the  gate  of  Laronde's  plantation, 
advanced  as  far  as  the  boundary  of  Lacoste's,  when  it 
was  received  with  a  brisk  discharge  from  one  of  the  out- 
posts of  the  enemy,  established  near  the  road,  and  lying 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  23,  1814.         171 

under  cover  of  a  fence.  This  outpost  consisted  of  eighty 
men  of  the  95th,  commanded  by  Captain  Hallem. 
Their  resistance  to  a  single  company  of  the  7th  Infantry, 
has  been  exaggerated  by  one  of  the  British  historians, 
into  "  an  achievement  to  which  neither  ancient  or 
modern  history  can  produce  a  parallel,  as  Captain  Hal- 
lem," says  this  veracious  writer,  "  was  opposed  to  Jack- 
son's whole  army,  three  thousand  strong."  The  truth  is, 
the  gallant  Captain  Hallem  and  his  eighty  men  were 
posted  in  a  ditch  and  behind  a  fence,  when  he  was  at- 
tacked by  the  right  company  of  the  7th. 

Calling  to  them  to  come  out  and  fight  like  men  in 
open  ground,  Piatt  attacked  them  with  great  vigor,  and 
forced  them  to  retire,  occupying  the  ground  they  had 
abandoned.  The  British,  however,  being  reinforced, 
returned  to  regain  their  lost  position,  and  opened  a 
heavy  fire  upon  Piatt's  detachment,  who  as  briskly 
replied.  For  some  minutes  the  firing  was  very  severe 
and  destructive,  the  combatants  being  but  a  few  yards 
apart.  Piatt  received  a  ball  in  the  leg,  McClelland  and 
a  sergeant  were  killed,  and  several  of  the  men  were 
wounded.  Meantime,  the  artillery  advanced  up  the 
road,  covered  by  the  marines  under  Lieutenant  Belle- 
vue,  and  began  to  blaze  away  at  the  enemy's  outposts 
with  great  vigor.  Collecting  a  strong  force,  the  British 
made  a  bold  push  for  the  guns.  Their  heavy  tire  caused 
a  recoil  of  the  marines,  and  some  of  the  horses  being 
wounded,  one  of  the  pieces  was  upset  in  the  ditch. 
Jackson  and  his  staff  being  near,  rode  swiftly  to  the 
point  of  danger,  and,  indifferent  to  the  shower  of  bul- 
lets which  whistled  around  him,  Jackson  called  out— 
"  Save  the  guns,  my  boys,  at  every  sacrifice ! "  Aided 
by  Captain  Butler  and  Captain  Chotard,  of  his  staff, 


172  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

lie  succeeded  in  repairing  the  momentary  disorder,  and 
rallying  the  marines  and  a  company  of  the  7th,  soon 
had  the  guns  safely  protected.* 

These  events  all  transpired  in  a  few  minutes.  Mean- 
time the  other  companies  of  the  7th  advanced  briskly, 
and  forming  in  battalion  a/ppuye  on  the  river,  opened  a 
brisk  fire  on  the  British,  who  in  a  like  manner  had 
strengthened  their  lines.  The  44th,  forming  on  the  left 
of  the  7th,  soon  joined  in  the  fire.  The  engagement 
now  became  general,  and  the  fire  was  kept  up  on  both 
sides  with  great  steadiness.  Both  lines  extended  per- 
pendicular from  the  river  some  distance  out,  being  em- 
braced within  an  old  levee  and  the  new  levee.  In  such 
a  state  of  affairs  both  became  liable  to  be  outflanked, 
and  turned,  the  British  on  the  right  and  the  Americans 
on  the  left.  The  British  line  was  rapidly  extending 
beyond  that  of  the  Americans,  and  a  strong  force  had 
began  to  file  ofi7  behind  the  old  levee,  towards  the  rear 
of  the  left  of  the  44th,  and  that  regiment  was  compelled 
to  oblique  to  the  left,  being  forced  back,  when  Plauche 
and  D'Aquin  fortunately  came  into  line,  and  forming 
under  a  severe  fire  at  pistol  shot,  advanced  in  close 
column. 

Just  as  Plauche's  battalion  was  wheeling  into  line  on 
the  left  of  the  44th,  some  of  his  platoons  on  the  right, 
lapping  those  of  the  44th,  mistook  them  for  the  enemy 
and  fired  a  volley  at  them,  which  wounded  several  men. 
Plauche  quickly  repaired  the  unfortunate  error,  and  led 
his  battalion  into  the  very  face  of  the  enemy,  who  gave 


*  Jackson  used  to  say,  familiarly,  when  complimented  on  the  gracefulness  of  hiu 
bow,  that  he  learned  the  art  on  the  night  of  the  twenty-third,  when  though  the  British 
thought  differently,  he  never  wasted  so  much  politeness  in  his  life  in  bowing  to  thelf 
bullets  as  they  whistle]  around  his  head. 


BATTLE   OF  DECEMBER   23,    1814.  173 

way  rapidly.  D'Aquin's  battalions  followed  Plauche', 
and  the  two  very  soon  reinstated  the  44th  in  its  recti 
linear  position,  and  then  opened  a  heavy  fire  upon  the 
enemy,  which  caused  them  to  give  way  still  more.  See- 
ing the  effect  of  his  fire,  the  men  called  out  to  charge 
bayonets,  and  Plauche  was  about  fo  give  the  order  for 
the  charge,  when  Colonel  Ross,  who  had  command  of 
the  volunteer  battalions,  countermanded  the  order,  and 
directed  him  to  hold  his  position.  This  was  for  the 
Americans  the  most  unfortunate  event  of  the  affair,  as 
was  shown  afterwards  when  the  situation  of  the  British 
became  known.  If  the  charge  had  been  made,  a  large 
portion  of  the  British  army,  including  a  whole  regiment, 
would  have  been  cut  off  from  the  rest,  and  compelled 
to  surrender.  Finally,  however,  the  British  being  so 
vigorously  pressed,  deemed  it  prudent  to  retire  and 
resume  their  original  position  on  the  boundary  line  of 
Lacoste  and  Villere's.  In  this  movement  they  'were 
favored  by  a  heavy  fog,  which  arose  about  half  past 
eight  o'clock. 

So  much  for  the  operation  on  the  right.  Meantime 
Coffee  was  not  idle.  Dismounting  his  men  at  the  ditch, 
which  forms  the  boundary  line  of  Laronde  and  Lacoste, 
and  leaving  one  hundred  men  in  charge  of  the  horses, 
he  advanced  rapidly  with  Beale'e  rifles  on  his  left  in 
extended  order,  skirting  the  swamp.  When  he  had 
reached  the  boundary  line  of  Villere's,  and  believed 
that  he  had  gained  the  enemy's  right,  he  wheeled  his 
column  to  the  right,  and  advanced  with  front  face  to 
the  river.  The  Rifles  on  his  left  spread  themselves  over 
Villere"s,  and  penetrated  the  very  centre  of  the  British 
camp,  killing  many  of  the  enemy  and  taking  several 
prisoners. 


JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

Whilst  advancing,  Coffee  ordered  Iris  men  to  be  sure 
of  their  mark  in  firing,  not  to  lose  a  shot,  and  to  fire  at 
short  distance.  They  were  soon  engaged  with  the  out- 
posts, and  the  quick-sighted  Tennesseeans  had  picked  off 
several  sentinels  before  their  approach  was  known,  so 
noiseless  and  wily  did  they  move.  Soon,  however,  the 
British  85th  rushed  forward  to  meet  them,  and  the  two 
lines  became  warmly  engaged.  Both  sides  were  remark- 
able for  their  sharp-shooting.  The  85th  were  light 
infantry,  and  had  long  enjoyed  a  high  reputation  for  the 
efficient  manner  in  which  they  handled  their  guns. 
But  the  Tennesseeans  were  more  than  a  match  for  them. 
They  fired  faster  and  with  greater  accuracy.  The  Brit- 
ish suffered  severely,  losing  several  officers,  among 
others  Major  Harris,  the  Brigade  Major. 

For  some  time  the  battle  raged  fiercely  in  this  part 
of  the  field,  but  without  much  order  or  system.  It  was 
a  war  of  detachments  and  duels.  The  officers  would 
hastily  collect  small  bodies  of  men,  as  they  could  find 
them,  and 'starting  out  in  pursuit  of  a  hostile  detach- 
ment, would  rush  at  them,  and  soon  be  mingled  in  a 
hand-to-hand  fight.  Owing  to  the  darkness,  friends 
could  not  be  distinguished  from  foes,  and  not  a  few  fell 
by  the  bullets  of  their  companions  and  fellow-soldiers. 
Approaching  within  a  few  yards  of  one  another,  thej 
would  shout  some  vague  name  or  call,  beating,  as  it  were, 
around  the  bush,  to  ascertain  who  their  neighbors  wen 
before  delivering  their  fire.  In  these  raanosuvres,  as 
each  party  could  disguise  his  character  to  get  nearer  his 
enemy,  many  lamentable  mistakes  were  made  on  both 
sides,  by  which  several  brave  men  lost  their  lives. 

Among  Lacoste's  negro  cabins  several  parties  of  the 
British  Eifles  were  posted,  who  kept  up  a  running  fire 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  23,  1814.         175 

on  Coffee's  right  companies.  The  Tennesseeans,  how 
ever,  recognizing  the  sharp  crack  of  the  rifle,  gave  these 
parties  the  preference,  and  directed  their  particular 
attention  to  them.  It  required  severe  fighting  to  dis- 
lodge the  Rifles  ;  but  they  were  soon  beaten  with  their 
own  weapons.  The  short  rifle  of  the  English  service 
was  not  equal  to  the  long  and  deadly  instrument  of  the 
western  hunter  and  Indian  fighter.  For  many  years 
after,  the  huts  of  Lacoste  bore  striking  proofs  of  the 
accuracy  of  the  aim  of  the  Tennesseeans,  and  of  the 
severity  of  the  combat  in  this  part  of  the  field.  Con- 
cealing themselves  behind  the  huts,  the  British  waited 
until  the  Tennesseeans  got  into  the  midst  of  them.  Then 
they  rushed  forward  and  engaged  with  them  hand  to 
hand.  Neither  party  having  bayonets  they  were  forced 
to  club  their  guns,  and  thus  many  fine  rifles  were  ruined. 
But  the  more  cautious  of  the  Tennesseeans  preferred  their 
long  knives  and  tomahawks  to  thus  endangering  that 
arm  which  is  their  chief  reliance  in  war,  their  insepara- 
ble companion  in  peace  and  war.  Many  a  British  sol- 
dier who  was  found  dead  on  the  field,  with  heavy  gashes 
on  his  forehead,  or  deep  stabs  in  his  bosom,  and  who 
was  buried  under  the  conviction  that  he  came  to  his 
death  by  that  military  and  chivalric  weapon,  the  sword, 
fell,  in  fact,  beneath  those  more  barbarous  instruments 
which  the  Tennesseeans  had  learned  from  the  savages  to 
wield  with  deadly  skill — the  tomahawk  and  hunting- 
knife.  After  being  driven  from  the  grove  at  Lacoste's, 
the  Rifles  fell  back  before  Coffee's  steady  advance,  ral- 
lying, however,  as  they  were  joined  by  fresh  reinforce- 
ments, and  keeping  up  a  continuous  fire  on  the  Tennes- 
seeans.  At  last  they  gained  the  old  levee,  not  far  from 
th«  road,  and  preferring  for  the  time  the  peril  of  the 


176          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Carolina's  broadsides  to  the  unerring  rifles  of  the  Ten* 
nesseeans,  they  took  post  behind  the  levee  on  the  river 
side.  This  position  was  deemed  too  strong  l>y  Coffee  to 
be  carried.  Besides  he  did  not  wish  to  expose  his  men 
to  the  unceasing  fire  of  the  Carolina.  Accordingly,  he 
sent  a  dispatch  to  Jackson  acquainting  him  with  his 
position,  and  received  in  return  an  order  to  join  the 
right  division. 

If  the  design  of  Plauche  of  charging  the  already 
retiring  line  of  the  British  had  not  been  prevented  by 
Colonel  Boss,  the  two  divisions  would  have  united,  and 
thus  the  British  left  would  have  been  inevitably  cut  off. 
But  in  the  meantime  the  right  column  of  Jackson,  find- 
ing the  fog  too  thick,  had  fallen  back  to  its  original 
position,  and  Coffee  following  it,  at  last  took  up  position 
near  the  old  levee,  where  the  battle  had  commenced, 
from  which  he  kept  up  an  irregular  fire  on  the  British 
stragglers  and  outposts.  It  was  while  moving  in  this 
direction,  that  Major  Mitchell,  commanding  the  British 
95th  (an  officer  who  had  won  great  distinction  in  leading 
the  storming  party  at  Cieudad  Rodrigo,  and  in  other 
actions  in  the  Peninsular  war),  advanced  towards  the 
British  right  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  charac- 
ter of  the  men  who  were  approaching.  As  the  93d 
Highlanders  were  expected  every  moment  to  reach  the 
camp,  Major  Mitchell  was  strongly  impressed  with  the 
belief  that  Coffee's  men,  who  wore  hunting-shirts, 
which,  in  the  dark,  were  not  unlike  the  Highland  frock, 
were  the  men  of  the  93d,  and  greatly  needing  their  aid, 
he  eagerly  advanced,  calling  out,  "  Are  those  the  93d  ?" 
"  Of  course,"  shouted  the  Tennesseeans,  who  had  no  par* 
ticular  number.  Mitchell  thereupon  pushed  boldly  for- 
ward within  a  few  feet  of  the  men,  when  Captain  Don- 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBEE  23,  1814.         177 

aldson  stepped  in  front,  and  slapping  the  astounded 
Briton  on  the  shoulder,  called  out,  "  You  are  my  pris- 
oner," and  requested  the  Major's  sword.  This  request 
was  enforced  by  half  a  dozen  long  rifles  which  covered 
his  body  at  every  assailable  point.* 

With  infinite  mortification  the  gallant  Major  surren- 
dered, and  with  several  other  prisoners  was  borne  off  by 
the  Tennesseeans.  Though  at  the  moment  of  his  capture, 
and  subsequently,  Major  Mitchell  was  treated  with  the 
kindness  and  generosity  due  to  a  gallant  foe,  he  never 
recovered  his  good  humor,  and  embraced  every  oppor- 
tunity of  exhibiting  his  spleen  and  disgust.  The  oblique 
movement  of  Coffee's  brigade  to  the  right  produced 
some  disasters  which  were  sorely  lamented  by  the 
Americans. 

In  the  last  charge  of  Coffee,  just  before  he  received 
the  order  to  retire,  the  left  of  his  line,  including  two 
hundred  Tennesseeans  and  Beale's  Rifles,  under  Colonels 
Dyer  and  Gibson,  got  separated  from  that  portion  which 
moved  under  Coffee's  immediate  command.  The  British 
perceived  the  gap,  and  immediately  rushed  into  it, 
forming  a  strong  line  of  troops  between  Coffee  and  Dyer. 
To  this  line  Dyer  hastened,  trusting  it  was  Coffee's.  On 
approaching,  they  were  hailed  by  the  British,  ordered 
to  stop  and  report  who  they  were.  Dyer  and  Gibson 
advanced  and  called  out  that  they  were  the  Second 
Division  of  Tennesseear.s.  Observing  that  his  answer 
was  not  understood,  h:  ordered  his  men  to  wheel  and 
retire  towards  the  swa;r  p.  As  they  were  retiring,  the 


*  It  was  rather  an  apochryphal  additon  to  this  story  which  was  no  doubt  provoked 
by  the  haughty  demeanor  of  Mitchell,  that  when  captured,  seeing  a  tomahawk  in  the 
hands  of  one  of  his  swarthy  foes,  he  cried  out  with  an  expression  of  great  terror, 
"  Oh  !  Mr.  Indian  don't  scalp-me  ! — don't  scalp  me  !" 

8* 


173  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

British  opened  a  heavy  fire  upon  them,  and  then  charged. 
In  the  retreat  Gibson  stumbled  and  fell,  and  a  British 
soldier,  more  active  than  his  companions,  reached  him 
before  he  could  rise  and  pinned  him  to  the  ground  with 
his  bayonet.  Fortunately  the  bayonet  only  pierced  his 
flesh,  and  Gibson,  who  was  an  active  and  powerful  man, 
seized  the  musket,  and  forcing  it  from  his  assailant, 
knocked  him  down  and  then  escaped  to  his  companions. 
Col.  Dyer  had  retreated  but  fifty  yards  when  his  horse 
was  shot,  himself  wounded,  and  entangled  with  the 
dying  animal,  which  lay  upon  his  legs.  At  this  moment, 
when  his  capture  or  death  seemed  inevitable,  he  had 
the  presence  of  mind  to  order  his  men  to  halt  and 
return  the  enemy's  fire  ;  they  did  so,  and  the  British 
were  checked,  and  the  Colonel  was  enabled,  with  the 
aid  of  some  of  his  men,  to  release  himself.  Finally,  the 
whole  party  of  Tennesseeans  succeeded  in  reaching 
Coffee.  There  was  a  portion  of  Dyer's  command  which 
was  not  so  fortunate. 

On  the  extreme  left  of  the  Tennesseeans  were  Beale's 
Rifles,  extended  in  open  order  for  some  distance  across 
Lacoste's  and  into  Yillere's  field.  Fighting  singly,  or 
in  small  squads,  they  had  penetrated  the  very  centre  of 
the  British  camp,  and  gave  such  annoyance  to  the  ene- 
my as  to  lead  to  the  belief  that  they  composed  a  whole 
regiment.  Whilst  pressing  forward  the  Rifles  became 
separated  into  two  parties,  by  the  fence  and  ditch  of 
Lacoste's ;  and  when  Coffee  m  ^ed  towards  the  right, 
the  party  of  the  Rifles  on  thf  extreme  left  did  not 
observe  the  movement  and  follow  it.  The  consequence 
was,  that  they  were  cut  off  by  the  British  closing  in 
between  them  and  the  first  division  of  the  company. 
Finding  themselves  thus  cut  off,  the  Rifles  separated 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBEB  23,  1814.         179 

and  endeavored  to  escape  by  starting  in  different  direc- 
tions. One  party  of  them  retreated  in  the  direction  of 
the  swamp,  and  had  nearly  reached  it,  when  they  ob- 
served a  line  of  men  advancing  from  the  swamp  towards 
them.  Deceived  in  the  same  manner,  in  which  Mitchell 
had  been,  they  concluded  from  the  dress  of  the  men 
that  they  were  Coffee's  "  Hunters,"  and  eagerly  pressed 
forward  calling  out : — 

"  Where  is  the  first  division  ?" 

"  Here  they  are,"  was  the  reply,  with  a  broad  Scotch 
accent,  and  the  line  closed  in  upon  them  at  a  charge, 
and  the  gleaming  bayonets  produced  the  sad  conviction 
on  the  minds  of  the  Rifles  that  they  had  been  entrapped 
and  must  surrender.  They  were  immediately  taken  in 
charge  by  a  detachment  of  the  British,  and  hurried 
towards  the  canal,  where  they  arrived  just  in  time  to  be 
placed  in  the  boats  which  had  brought  their  captors, 
who  proved  to  be  the  Grenadier  company  of  the  93d 
Highlanders.  These  prisoners  were  taken  down  the 
bayou  to  the  fleet. 

Those  who  were  thus  captured  embraced  several  of 
the  most  respectable  citizens  of  New  Orleans.  Among 
them  were  Benjamin  Story,  Esq.,  long  one  of  the  most 
respected,  wealthy  and  prosperous  merchants  and  bankers 
of  the  city,  and  for  many  years  President  of  the  Bank 
of  Louisiana ;  William  Flower,  one  of  the  oldest  mer- 
chants of  the  city,  who  now  survives  at  a  very  advanced 
age.  These  two  gentlemen  had  been  badly  wounded. 
There  was  also  among  the  prisoners  the  late  John  Lynd, 
and  that  wild  rollicking  citizen,  of  Irish  birth,  famous 
for  his  wit  and  valor,  Kenny  Laverty.  Others  of  the 
Rifles  endeavored  to  escape  by  the  river,  and  a  few 
succeeded.  Two  of  them,  however,  were  not  so  fortu- 


180  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS- 

nate.  They  were  Denis  Prieur,  late  Collector  of  the 
Port  of  New  Orleans,  several  times  Mayor  of  the  city, 
and  one  of  the  most  sagacious,  enlightened  and  intel- 
ligent public  officers  whom  the  city  and  State  have  ever 
employed,  and  a  Scotchman  by  the  name  of  McGillvray. 
After  remaining  together  for  some  time,  these  two 
gentlemen  agreed  to  separate.  McGillvray  was  to  en- 
deavor to  escape  by  the  river,  and  Prieur  through  La- 
coste's  field.  Accordingly  they  parted.  Prieur  advanced 
towards  the  right,  keeping  under  cover  of  a  fence  until 
he  thought  he  was  beyond  reach,  and  then  started  in 
full  run  across  the  field.  He  had  not  gone  far  before 
coming  to  a  ditch  ;  he  leaped  it,  and  suddenly  found 
himself  surrounded  by  twenty  British  soldiers,  to  whom 
he  surrendered.  McGillvray  was  captured  after  being 
wounded.  These  were  the  last  captures  of  the  British. 
Prieur,  who  was  a  Creole,  was  taken  to  General  Keane's 
headquarters,  where  the  General  held  a  long  conversa- 
tion with  him,  and  endeavored  to  impress  upon  his 
mind  the  idea  that  the  British  did  not  come  to  Louisiana 
to  wage  war  against  the  ancient  population,  but  to  oust 
the  Yankees,  who  had  no  right  to  the  country,  and 
ought  not  to  be  tolerated  by  the  Creoles.  The  General, 
however,  had  more  than  his  match  in  Prieur,  than  whom 
there  are  few  more  sagacious  and  astute  men.  He  par- 
ried the  General's  interrogatories  very  adroitly,  except 
the  one  relative  to  Jackson's  force,  which,  of  course,  he 
was  too  shrewd  not  to  exaggerate.  Satisfied  that  he 
had  made  a  very  deep  impression  upon  the  unsophisti- 
cated young  Creole,  Keane  ordered  him  to  be  released 
on  his  parole.  Accordingly,  early  next  morning,  Prieur 
had  the  pleasure  to  rejoin  Jackson's  army  at  Rodriguez 
Canal. 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  23,  1814.          181 

Keane  subsequently  complained  very  savagely  of  the 
bad  faith  of  the  Creoles,  who,  not  appreciating  his  kind- 
ness to  them,  had  been  the  most  active  and  ferocious 
enemies  of  the  British,  from  the  commencement  to  the 
close  of  the  campaign.  He  should  have  remembered 
that  he  who  endeavors  to  tamper  with  the  loyalty  and 
patriotism  of  a  free  people  offers  the  most  serious  pro- 
vocation and  insult,  and  justifies  a  greater  bitterness  of 
hostility  and  severer  punishments  than  were  dealt  out 
to  the  British  on  the  plains  of  Villere. 

The  other  captive  "  Rifles,"  did  not  fare  so  well.  They 
were  taken  to  the  British  fleet  then  lying  off  Ship  Island, 
and  subjected  for  some  time,  as  prisoners  of  war,  to 
many  hardships.  We  have  mentioned  among  the  names 
of  those  prisoners  those  of  John  Lynd  and  Kenny 
Laverty.  Lynd  was  a  notary  public,  a  quaint,  sedate 
and  solemn-visaged,  but  very  shrewd  and  sagacious 
person.  Upon  the  strength  of  his  profession,  having 
been  connected  with  the  administration  of  law,  the 
British  founded  the  humorous  conceit,  which  has  been 
recorded  in  several  publications,  that  in  the  capture  of 
the  twenty-two  members  of  Beale's  rifles,  they  had  ac- 
tually taken  prisoners  all  the  lawyers  and  notaries  of 
New  Orleans.  Such  a  capture  would  have  deprived 
Jackson  of  no  less  than  five  aids  who  were  really  the 
leading  members  of  the  Bar  of  the  city,  to  wit :  Edward 
Livingston,  John  R.  Chymes,  Abner  L.  Duncan,  Deve- 
zac  and  P.  L.  B.  Duplessis.  Lynd  and  Laverty,  the 
latter  on  account  of  a  most  alarmingly  treacherous 
brogue,  and  the  former  for  his  sanctimonious  gravity, 
became  frequent  butts  for  the  gibes  of  the  British  offi- 
cers. Unfortunately,  however,  for  their  reputation  as 
wits,  they  obtained  but  few  victories  in  their  encounters 


182  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

with  the  dry,  solemn  and  quaint  notary  and  the  quick 
witted  Irishman.  Many  instances  of  their  discomfiture 
are  related  by  the  old  people,  who  cherish  with  much 
devotion  the  stories  and  the  witticisms,  however  simple, 
of  the  times  in  which  they  played  their  parts.  On  one 
occasion  the  prisoners,  being  taunted  with  a  want  of 
hospitality  and  generosity  towards  their  visitors,  who 
had  been  led  to  believe  that  they  would  be  received 
with  much  pomp,  and  entertained  with  dinners  and 
balls,"  the  ready  Irishman  replied,  "  and  faith  we  did 
receive  you  with  balls — and  as  for  the  dinners,  from 
what  we  had  heard  of  ye,  we  thought  you  could  pro- 
vide for  yourselves."  This  was  a  delicate  allusion  to 
the  hen-roost-robbing  reputation,  which  the  British 
brought  from  the  Chesapeake,  and  probably  to  the 
threat  of  Sir  Alexander  Cochrane,  to  eat  his  Christmas 
dinner  at  New  Orleans. 

During  their  detention  in  the  fleet,  the  prisoners,  as 
well  as  the  sailors,  were  placed  on  half  rations.  This 
was  a  sore  trial  to  Americans,  Orleanians,  who  were 
accustomed  to  an  abundance  of  the  luxuries  and  com- 
forts of  life.  One  day,  as  some  of  the  officers  of  the 
fleet  were  amusing  themselves  by  catching  sharks  near 
Cat  Island,  where  they  abound,  Sir  Alexander  Cochrane, 
who  was  looking  on,  remarked  that  he  never  saw  fish 
bite  so  greedily. 

"  Probably  yer  honor,  they  are  like  meself,  prisoners 
on  half  rations,"  respectfully  suggested  Laverty,  with  a 
face  an  ell  long.  When  it  was  suggested,  in  allusion  to 
his  "  rich  Irish  brogue,"  that  the  British  Government 
might  treat  him  as  a  deserter,  whose  allegiance  had 
never  been  surrendered,  Laverty,  with  an  air  of  great 
gravity,  asseverated  that  he  had  "  drawn  his  first  breath 


BATTLE   OF  DECEMBER   23,    1814:.  183 

in  a  pretty  little  village,  in  the  good  old  State  of  Phila- 
delphia," which  declaration  he  subsequently  justified 
by  the  ingenious  explanation  that  no  man  breathed  at 
all  before  he  breathed  the  air  of  liberty.  Strongly  con- 
trasted with  Laverty's  light:hearted  jollity  was  the  ora- 
cular solemnity  of  his  sedate  companion,  who  never 
omitted  an  opportunity  of  warning  the  British  of  the 
gloomy  fate  which  awaited  them  when  General  Jackson 
should  get  fairly  aroused.  When  the  British  would 
boast  of  their  achievements  on  the  23d  Decembe'r,— 
they  would  be  awe-stricken  by  the  mysterious  and  dole- 
ful expression,  the  ominous  shaking  of  the  head  and 
rolling  of  the  eye-balls,  with  which  the  American  seer 
would  accompany  his  invariable  and  prophetic  reply — 
"  Oh,  the  end  has  not  come  yet !  the  end  has  not  come 
yet !"  The  ship  in  which  the  prisoners  were  detained 
was  the  Royal  Oak.  At  the  time  they  were  taken 
aboard  the  captain  was  absent.  On  his  return  to  his 
ship,  what  was  the  captain's  surprise  to  recognize,  in 
Mr.  Pollock,  one  of  the  prisoners,  a  bosom  friend  who 
had  officiated  as  groomsman  for  him  at  his  marriage, 
which  event  had  occurred  in  New  York,  previous  to  the 
war.  Of  course,  the  friends  forgot  they  were  nationally 
enemies,  and  soon  became  as  cordial  and  happy  as  if 
the  two  nations  which  they  were  respectively  serving 
were  living  on  the  very  best  terms.  In  consequence  of 
this  recognition,  the  captain  of  the  Royal  Oak  caused 
a  very  elegant  dinner  to  be  prepared  for  the  prisoners, 
which  was  attended  by  all  the  officers  of  the  Royal 
Oak  and  several  of  the  other  ships.  The  dinner  was 
quite  a  jovial  and  protracted  one.  There  was  an  abun- 
dance of  good  old  wine,  of  which  the  Americans  par- 
took with  such  gusto  as  might  be  expected  in  men  who 


184:          JACKSON  AND  NEW  OELEANS. 

had  been  on  "  short  commons  "  for  several  days.  This 
indulgence  came  near  destroying  the  harmony  of  the 
occasion,  as  some  political  allusions  having  been  drop- 
ped by  some  of  the  British  officers,  several  of  the 
Americans  fired  up  and  declared  that  they  could  whip 
the  British,  man  to  man, — Kenny  Laverty  offering  to 
take  for  "  his  share  two  of  the  brawniest  chaps  in  the 
fleet."  But  the  ill-feeling  and  exaltation  passed  with 
the  fumes  of  the  liquor,  and  thenceforward  the  relations 
of  the  parties  were  pleasant  and  amicable. 

Much  less  sensible,  though  perhaps  more  dignified, 
was  the  conduct  of  the  principal  British  officer,  who 
was  captured  by  the  Americans  on  the  night  of  the  23d, 
Major  Samuel  Mitchell,  of  the  95th  Rifles,  whose  mis- 
fortune has  been  related  above.  The  Major's  disgust  and 
chagrin  were  visibly  increased  when  he  learned  the 
character  of  his  captors.  It  was  while  suffering  under 
these  feelings,  after  he  had  arrived  in  the  rear  of  the 
American  camp,  in  charge  of  a  guard  of  Coffee's  men, 
that  Mr.  Harrod,  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department, 
(and  now  a  respected  merchant  of  New  Orleans)  waited 
upon  him  at  the  order  of  General  Jackson,  with  the 
compliments  of  the  General,  and  a  request  that  he  would 
inform  Mr.  Harrod  what  he  needed  in  the  way  of  cloth- 
ing and  other  comforts,  and  his  wants  would  be  imme- 
diately attended  to.  The  Major,  swelling  with  pride 
and  chagrin,  replied,  "  Return  my  compliments  to  Gene- 
ral Jackson  and  say,  that  as  my  baggage  will  reach  me 
in  a  few  days,  I  shall  be  able  to  dispense  with  nis  polite 
attentions."  Had  the  Major  persisted  in  this  rash  deter- 
mination, he  would  never  have  been  in  a  condition  to 
partake  of  the  hospitalities  which  were  lavished  upon 
him,  during  his  necessarily  disagreeable  detention  in 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  23,  1814.         185 

New  Orleans,  and  in  Natchez,  to  which  place  the  pri- 
soners were  sent  by  Jackson. 

It  was  whilst  on  the  journey  to  Natchez,  that  the 
Major  stopped  at  night  at  the  hospitable  mansion  of  Mr. 
Sauve,  a  sugar  planter,  residing  some  twelve  or  fifteen 
miles  above  New  Orleans,  by  whom  he  was  invited  to 
take  a  seat  at  the  family  supper  table.  One  of  Mr. 
Sauve'a  daughters,  now  the  estimable  Mrs.  Trudeau, 
was  then  in  the  bloom  of  her  beauty,  and  the  admira- 
tion of  the  country  around  for  her  many  charms  and 
accomplishments.  The  Major  being  a  gallant  and  re- 
fined gentleman,  who  spoke  French  fluently,  soon  be- 
came engaged  in  a  lively  conversation  with  the  beautiful 
Creole.  Allusion  having  been  made,  in  the  course  ot 
this  conversation,  to  Jackson's  army,  Miss  Sauve  spoke 
with  great  enthusiasm  of  a  party  of  Tennesseeans,  whom 
her  father  had  entertained  a  few  days  before.  The  cir- 
cumstances of  his  capture  still  preying  upon  the  mind 
of  the  haughty  Briton,  he  could  not  refrain  from  observ- 
ing to  her — "  Miss,  it  astonishes  me  that  one  so  refined 
can  find  pleasure  in  the  society  of  such  rude  barba- 
rians." 

"  Major,"  replied  the  high-spirited  Creole  belle,  "  I 
had  rather  be  the  wife  of  one  of  those  hardy  and  coarsely- 
clad,  but  brave  and  honest  men,  who  have  marched 
through  a  wilderness  of  two  thousand  miles  to  fight  for 
the  honor  of  their  country,  than  to  wear  an  English 
coronet." 

Let  us  return  to  our  narrative  of  the  events  of  the  23d. 
Jackson,  seeing  it  impossible  to  effect  anything  further, 
owing  to  the  heavy  fog  which  now  enveloped  the  field, 
had  drawn  off  the  men  of  his  division  and  posted  them 
among  Laronde's  buildings.  Coffee,  following  this 


186          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

movement,  had  inclined  the  same  direction,  and  taken 
up  position  nearly  on  Jackson's  left.  Before,  however, 
all  the  men  of  the  two  divisions  could  be  assembled  to- 
gether at  these  points  many  detachments  and  small 
parties  had  wandered  off  from  the  main  lines  and  con- 
tinued the  combat  in  various  parts  of  the  field,  to  the 
great  annoyance  of  the  British,  who,  with  such  enemies, 
never  knew  when  the  battle  ended.  In  these  detached 
operations  many  deeds  of  personal  daring  were  per- 
formed, which  have  no  place  in  history.  Swords  were 
crossed  and  bayonets  locked ;  pistols  were  used  at  a  few 
paces.  It  was  a  night  of  duels.  Many  men,  who  had 
never  been  engaged  in  personal  combats  before,  were 
that  night  transformed  into  heroes,  and  fought  like  prac- 
ticed veterans.  Many  whose  whole  careers  since  have 
been  characterized  by  the  greatest  gentleness  and  peace- 
fulness,  were  that  night  as  ferocious  as  tigers  and  brave 
as  lions.  The  present  generation  can  scarcely  realize  the 
truth  of  history,  when  they  see  in  those  mild,  gentle  and 
amiable  old  men,  who  on  public  anniversaries  assemble 
around  the  tattered  and  time-worn  banner  of  the  "  Vete- 
rans of  1814  and  '15,"  the  survivor?  of  the  terrible  scenes 
of  that  memorable  night-battle.  A  British  officer,  who 
participated  in  this  bloody  aciion,  bears  the  following 
graphic  testimony  to  its  severity  and  sanguinary  char- 
acter : 

"In  wandering  over  the  field,  the  most  shocking  and  disgusting 
sights  everywhere  presented  themselves.  I  have  frequently  beheld 
a  greater  number  of  dead  bodies  in  as  small  a  compass,  though  these, 
indeed,  were  numerous  enough;  but  wounds  more  disfiguring  or 
more  horrible  I  certainly  never  witnessed.  A  man  shot  through 
the  head  or  heart,  lies  as  if  he  were  in  deep  slumber,  insomuch  that 
when  you  gaze  upon  him,  you  experience  little  less  than  pity.  But 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  23,  1814.          187 

tf  these,  many  had  met  their  death  from  bayonet  wounds,  sabre 
cuts,  or  heavy  blows  from  the  butt-ends  of  musket8,  and  the  con- 
sequence was,  that  not  only  were  the  wounds  themselves  exceed- 
ingly frightful,  but  the  very  countenances  of  the  dead  exhibited 
the  most  savage  and  ghastly  expressions.  Friends  and  foes  lay  to- 
gether in  small  groups  of  five  or  six — nor  was  it  difficult  to  tell  the 
very  hand  by  which  some  of  them  had  fallen.  Nay,  such  had  been 
the  deadly  closeness  of  the  strife,  that,  in  one  or  two  places,  an 
English  and  American  soldier  might  be  seen  with  the  bayonet  of 
each  fastened  in  the  other's  body." 

Jackson  had  accomplished  more  than  he  expected  by 
this  attack.  He  had  not  destroyed  the  British,  but  he 
had  impressed  them  with  a  proper  awe  and  respect  for 
him.  He  had  given  them  the  first  of  a  series  of  blows, 
which  he  felt  satisfied  would  eventuate  in  their  rout. 
He  had  in  a  few  hours  made  his  raw  levies  veterans. 
They  were  now  ready  and  eager  for  service.  They  had 
been  under  fire.  All  that  indecision  and  nervousness  of 
fresh  troops,  when  first  subjected  to  this  test,  had  been 
supplanted  by  cool  courage,  confidence  and  self-reliance. 
A  few  hours  of  real  service  had  supplied  months,  nay 
years,  of  theoretical  training.  Besides,  the  enemy  were 
astounded  by  the  vigor  of  the  attack,  and  erroneously 
ascribed  it  to  the  overwhelming  force  of  Jackson, 
Keane,  in  his  dispatch,  magnifies  Jackson's  army  into 
five  thousand  men.  Whatever  might  be  its  number,  it 
was  evident  that  it  was  quite  a  different  army — so 
Thornton  and  the  men  of  the  85th  and  4th  thought — 
from  that  which  they  encountered  at  Bladensburg.  "  This 
boldly  attacking  us  in  our  camp  is  a  new  feature  in 
American  warfare,"  was  the  general  observation  of  the 
British  officers.  Such  an  attack  was  well  calculated  to 
make  the  British  General  pause  and  determine  to  delay 
his  advance  until  his  whole  force  had  come  up  from  the 


188  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Lake.  He  never  imagined  that  with  the  troops  which 
had  reached  him  before  the  battle  was  over,  he  could 
have  outnumbered  and  overwhelmed  Jackson,  and 
marched  into  the  city.  Hence  the  great  importance  of 
the  battle  of  the  23d.  It  was  the  master-stroke  of 
Jackson's  genius.  It  was  entirely  his  own  idea  and 
plan.  Many  of  his  officer^  deemed  it  the  height  of  rash- 
ness. But  all  were  willing  to  follow  him,  and  when 
his  spirit  animated  them  fears  and  doubts  disappeared. 

In  the  execution  of  his  plan,  he  was  ably  seconded  by 
his  officers.  No  men  conld  have  behaved  better  than 
Coffee,  Piatt,  Plauche,  Peire,  D'Aquin,  McRea,  and 
others.  Coffee  appeared  to  be  in  every  part  of  his  ex- 
tended line  at  the  same  time.  Cool  and  self-possessed, 
he  kept  his  men  well  together,  and  restrained,  within 
the  bounds  of  prudence,  the  natural  impetuosity  of  the 
frontier-fighter,  which  is  continually  pushing  him  for- 
ward to  fight  "  on  his  own  hook."  The  Tennesseeans 
fought  with  great  steadiness  and  gallantry.  No  body 
of  men  could  have  behaved  better  than  the  7th  Infantry, 
under  the  gallant  Creole  officer  Major  Peire,  a  native 
of  New  Orleans.  The  44th,  a  younger  and  newer  regi- 
ment, under  Captain  Baker,  had  a  very  severe  service 
and  exposed  situation,  being  compelled  continually  to 
oblique  to  the  left  to  prevent  the  British  from  outflank- 
ing them.  This  duty  they  performed  with  great  valor 
and  steadiness.  Plaudit's  Battalion  bore  itself  with 
the  most  brilliant  courage,  and  moved  with  the  preci- 
sion of  regulars,  forming  into  battalion  under  a  heavy 
fire,  and  charging  the  enemy  until  he  was  forced  buck. 
D'Aquin  supported  Plauche  promptly  and  efficiently 
with  his  Battalion  of  Free  colored  men  The  marines 
on  the  river  were  very  efficient  in  protecting  the  artil- 


BATTLE   OF   DECEMBEE   23,    18.14.  189 

leiy,  which,  during  the  whole  action,  played  with  great 
effect  upon  the  enemy's  camp.  Owing  to  the  numerous 
ditches  and  fences,  Hinds'  Dragoons  were  not  brought 
into  action,  but  maintained  their  position  in  the  centre 
of  Laronde's  plantation.  Nor  did  the  British  bear  them- 
selves with  less  than  their  usual  valor  on  this  occasion. 
Though  surprised  and  taken  at  great  disadvantage,  the 
veterans  of  the  Peninsular  campaigns  sustained  the  re- 
putation which  they  had  won  in  a  hundred  combats 
with  Napoleon's  renowned  armies.  From  the  nature  of 
the  combat,  the  officers  had  to  take  the  lead  in  fighting, 
and  they  were  always  in  their  places.  Their  heavy  loss 
proves  the  severity  of  the  conflict  and  the  ardor  of  both 
officers  and  men.  The  British  had  at  least  four  hundred 
officers  and  men  placed  hors  du  combat  in  this  affair. 
Their  repQrted  loss  was  three  hundred  and  five  killed, 
wounded  and  missing.*  The  number  of  the  latter  was 
eighty-five.  The  American  loss  was  twenty-four  killed, 
and  one  hundred  and  fifteen  wounded  and  seventy-four 
prisoners — in  all  two  hundred  and  thirteen. 

Among  the  Americans  no  loss  was  more  deeply 
lamented  than  that  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Lauderdale, 
of  Coffee's  Brigade,  who  fell  in  the  charge  on  Lacoste's 
huts,  by  the  ball  of  one  of  the  95th  Rifles.  Lauderdale 
was  an  officer  of  high  promise,  of  undaunted  courage, 
great  address,  and  decided  military  capacity.  He  had 
served  with  distinction  under  Coffee  in  the  Indian  wars, 
and  enjoyed  the  warm  admiration  and  confidence  of 
Jackson.  Lieutenant  McClelland,  who,  at  the  head  of 
the  7th,  fell  whilst  leading  the  charge  and  opening  the 
action,  was  esteemed  one  of  the  most  energetic  and 

*The  author  of  the  "Campaigns,  etc.,"  states  the  British  loss  at  five  hundred. 


190          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

promising  officers  of  that  gallant  regiment,  which,  from 
its  origin  to  the  present  day,  has  maintained  its  reputa- 
tion unsullied. 

The  British,  too,  lost  some  of  their  best  officers.  In 
addition  to  Major  Harris,  of  the  85th,  acting  as  Major 
of  the  Brigade,  Captain  Grey,  another  excellent  officer 
of  the  same  corps,  was  also  killed  by  a  rifle  ball,  des- 
cribed as  so  small  that  it  scarcely  left  a  mark  on  the 
forehead  which  it  had  penetrated.  The  21st  lost  an 
excellent  officer,  a  Captain  Corsan,  and  the  4th  a  dis- 
tinguished Peninsular  hero  in  Captain  Johnstone.  Lieu- 
tenant John  Souther,  of  the  same  regiment,  was  also 
killed.  Of  the  severely  wounded,  there  were  Lieute- 
nant Colonel  Stoven,  since  Sir  Frederick  Stoven,  Assist- 
ant Adjutant-General ;  Major  Hooper,  also  Assistant 
Adjutant-General,  who  lost  a  leg,  and  Lieutenant  Delacy 
Evans,  of  the  3d  Dragoons,  Deputy  Assistant  Quarter- 
Master  General,  an  officer  who  has  since  acquired  dis- 
tinction as  Sir  Delacy  Evans,  a  prominent  member  of 
the  House  of  Commons  of  Great  Britain,  as  General  of 
a  Spanish  Legion  in  the  Carlist  revolution,  and  late 
commander  of  one  of  the  divisions  in  the  British  army 
in  the  expedition  to  the  Crimea,  Lieutenant  J.  Christie, 
of  the  Royal  artillery  ;  Moody,  of  the  4th  ;  Captain  Knox, 
Lieutenants  Willings,  Maunsell  and  Hickson,  of  the 
85th,  Captain  William,  Lieutenants  Forbes  and  Farmer, 
of  the  95th,  were  all  severely  wounded,  several  losing 
limbs  and  being  incapacitated  for  further  service.  Major 
Mitchell,  of  the  95th,  Lieutenant  "VY.  Walker,  and  en- 
sign Ashlier,  of  the  85th,  were  taken  prisoners. 

The  author  of  the  narrative  of  British  Campaigns  at 
Washington  and  New  Orleans,  presents  the  following 
harrowing  picture  of  the  spectacle,  which  was  exhibited 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  23,  1814.         191 

by  the  British  Hospital,  after  the  battle  of  the  23d.  We 
should  remark  that  General  Keane  had  vacated  Yillere's 
house,  and  the  hospital  had  been  established  there : — 

"Every  room  in  the  house  was  crowded  with  wretches, mangled, 
and  apparently  in  the  most  excruciating  agonies.  Prayers,  groans, 
and,  I  grieve  to  add,  the  most  horrid  imprecations  smote  upon  the 
ear,  wherever  I  turned.  Some  lay  at  length  upon  the  straw,  with 
eyes  half  closed  and  limbs  motionless ;  some  endeavored  to  start 
up,  shrieking  with  pain,  while  the  wandering  eye  and  incoherent 
speech  of  others,  indicated  the  loss  of  reason,  and  usually  foretold, 
the  approach  of  death.  But  there  was  one  among  the  rest,  whoso 
appearance  was  too  terrible  ever  to  be  forgotten.  He  had  been 
shot  through  the  windpipe,  and  the  breath  making  its  way  between 
the  skin  and  the  flesh,  had  dilated  him  to  a  size  absolutely  terrific. 
His  head  and  face  were  particularly  shocking.  Every  feature  was 
enlarged  beyond  what  can  well  be  imagined,  while  his  eyes  were 
completely  hidden  by  the  cheeks  and  the  forehead,  as  to  destroy 
all  resemblance  to  an  human  countenance.  Passing  through  the 
apartments  where  the  private  soldiers  lay,  I  next  came  to  those 
occupied  by  officers.  Of  these  there  were  five  or  six  in  one  small 
room,  to  whom  little  better  accommodations  could  be  provided 
than  to  their  inferiors.  It  was  a  sight  peculiarly  distressing,  be- 
cause all  of  them  chanced  to  be  personal  acquaintances  of  my  own. 
One  had  been  shot  in  the  head  and  lay  gasping  and  insensible. 
Another  had  recived  a  musket  ball  in  the  belly,  which  had  passed 
through  and  lodged  in  the  backbone.  The  former  appeared  to 
suffer  but  little,  giving  no  signs  of  life,  except  what  a  heavy  breath- 
ing produced  ;  the  latter  was  in  the  most  dreadful  agony,  scream- 
ing out  and  gnawing  the  covering  under  which  lie  lay.  There 
were  many  others  there,  some  severely  and  others  slightly  hurt." 

As  to  the  forces  engaged  on  the  23d,  the  usual  estimates 
are  very  erroneous.  Jackson  marched  from  the  city 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  23d  with  2132  men  and  two 
cannons.  Deducting  the  men  left  in  charge  of  Coffee's 
horses  and  Hinds'  Dragoons,  there  were  not  1800  men 


192  JACKSON    AND    NEW     ORLEANS. 

engaged.  This  was  very  near  the  number  of  the  British 
advance  which  had  reached  the  river  at  noon.  "When 
it  is  considered  that  the  troops  on  the  one  side  were 
entirely  new  levies,  few  of  the  regulars  having  been  in 
action,  the  disparity  will  be  very  glaring.  But  during 
the  action  the  British  were  reinforced.  After  the  depart- 
ure of  Thornton  with  the  advance  from  Pea  Island,  a 
large  portion  of  the  remainder  of  Keane's  army  were 
placed  in  the  small  schooners  and  gun-boats,  which  fol- 
lowed the  flotilla  and  arrived  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Bienvenu  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  There 
they  were  met  by  the  returning  boats  and  barges,  and 
were  speedily  disembarked. 

Proceeding  up  the  bayou,  these  troops,  comprising  a 
part  of  Brook's  Brigade,  could  distinctly  hear  the  firing 
of  the  Carolina,  which  announced  the  commencement 
of  the  battle.  Pressing  forward  with  all  has$»>  they 
reached  the  field  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  action.  The 
93d  Highlanders  were  the  first  to  gain  the  camp,  and  a 
detachment  of  them  was  met  by  orders  from  Keane,  to 
push  forward  with  bayonets  against  Coffee's  line,  which 
was  hastening  to  join  the  American  right.  They  did 
not  succeed,  however,  in  reaching  Coffee,  who,  after  de- 
livering a  heavy  fire,  continued  to  oblique  towards  the 
position  which  he  afterwards  maintained.  Four  com- 
panies of  the  21st  also  arrived  in  time  to  protect  the 
British  right.  From  these  facts,  which  are  admitted  in 
Keane's  report  of  the  action  of  the  23d,  it  will  be  seen 
that  besides  Thornton's  advance  of  1800  men,  there  were 
four  companies  of  the  21st  and  several  of  the  93d,  actu- 
ally engaged,  making  the  whole  number  of  the  British 
army  on  the  night  of  the  23d,  about  twenty-five  hun- 
dred men.  This  estimate  is  confirmed  by  the  dispatch 


BATTLE   OF   DECEMBER   23,    1814. 

of  Sir  Alexander  Cochrane.  This  inequality,  however, 
was  more  than  compensated  by  the  efficiency  of  the 
batteries  of  the  Carolina,  which,  during  the  whole  ac- 
tion, kept  up  its  fire  on  the  British  camp,  and  continued 
it  long  after  the  battle  was  over. 

The  newly  arrived  troops  encamped  as  they  came 
upon  the  field,  extending  from  the  woods  as  far  towards 
the  river,  that  the  advance,  by  wheeling  up,  might 
complete  the  line  from  the  river  to  the  swamp.  But  the 
advance  was  still  fastened  to  the  levee  by  that  unspar- 
ing schooner,  whose  batteries  seemed  in  one  continual 
blaze,  and  whose  grape-shot  rained  on  the  field  like 
hail.  It  was  only  when  all  the  fires  were  extinguished 
and  perfect  darkness  shrouded  the  field,  that  the  Caro- 
lina weighed  anchor  and  moved  to  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  keeping,  however,  a  close  eye  on  the  British  all 
the  while. 

Keane's  army  passed  a  miserable  night.  The  men  lay 
on  the  damp  ground  without  any  covering,  exposed  to 
a  thick  fog,  which  appeared  to  combine  all  the  discom- 
forts of  rain  and  frost.  Few  were  allowed  to  sleep  even 
under  these  uncomfortable  circumstances,  a  large  num- 
ber being  required  for  outpost  duty,  and  attendance  on 
the  wounded.  Comfortless  as  the  night  was,  the  British 
had  but  little  satisfaction  in  anticipating  the  break  of 
day,  as  it  would  only  expose  their  position  to  the  fire  of 
the  schooner,  which  had  already  so  grievously  distressed 
them. 

And  so  it  proved,  though  even  worse  than  was  appre- 
hended. On  the  morning  of  the  24th,  the  Louisiana,  a 
merchant  ship,  fitted  up  as  a  war  vessel,  joined  the  Ca- 
rolina, and  as  soon  as  light  exposed  the  British  camp, 
both'  vessels  opened  their  batteries  with  most  destruc- 

9 


194:          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

tive  effect  All  that  day  was  the  British  advance  com- 
pelled to  cling  to  the  protection  of  the  levee,  so  that 
even  parties  that  were  sent  out  to  collect  the  wounded 
and  bury  the  dead,  were  frequently  compelled  to  aban- 
don these  duties. 

Such  was  the  pitiable  condition  of  the  British  army 
from  its  arrival  until  the  night  of  the  24th,  when  the 
men  were  ordered  to  withdraw  from  the  levee  and  en- 
camp behind  the  sugar-house  and  outbuildings  of  La- 
coste.  Acccordingly  they  filed  off  to  the  right,  com- 
pany by  company,  and  passing  through  the  village  of 
negro  huts,  established  themselves  in  the  field  beyond, 
interposing  the  chateau,  the  out-buildings,  sugar-house 
and  negro  huts  between  them  and  their  untiring  perse- 
cutors. A  small  picket  was  left  to  occupy  the  levee 
and  river  bank.  This  movement  secured  the  British 
some  comfort  and  peace,  of  which  they  immediately 
commenced  to  avail  themselves  by  lighting  fires  and 
cooking  their  suppers.  Many  of  them  had  become  so 
cramped  with  cold  and  inaction,  during  their  supine 
position  under  the  levee,  that  they  found  it  necessary  to 
rub  their  limbs  with  spirits  before  the  circulation  of 
blood  could  be  restored. 

What  in  the  meantime  had  Jackson  done  with  his 
little  army  ?  Satisfied,  indeed  elated  with  the  results 
of  the  action  of  the  23d,  Jackson  determined  to  estab- 
lish his  camp  right  in  front  of  the  British.  Leaving  the 
7th  Infantry  and  a  company  of  Dragoons  at  La  Ronde's, 
he  fell  back  nearer  the  city  to  Rodriguez'  Canal,  where 
the  men  proceeded  to  entrench  themselves  in  such  rude 
and  inartificial  manner  as  might  occur  to  raw  soldiers. 
The  whole  of  the  24th  was  thus  consumed.  Sending  to 
town  for  all  the  spades  and  other  instruments  suitable 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  23,  1814.          195 

for  digging,  the  men  set  to  work  with  the  greatest  viva- 
city, widening  the  canal  and  throwing  up  the  dirt  on 
the  bank  nearest  to  the  city.  Though  the  great  majority 
of  them  were  unused  to  manual  toil,  there  was  no  want  of 
zeal  or  energy  in  their  work.  A  rivalry  sprung  up,  which 
could  build  the  highest  mound  in  front  of  his  position  or 
dig  the  ditch  deepest.  Each  soldier  claimed  the  mound  in 
his  front  as  his  "  castle,"  and  such  was  the  value  attached 
to  these  "  castles"  that  the  General  was  induced  to 
countermand  an  order  he  had  given  for  the  whole  line 
to  incline  to  the  left  to  make  room  for  a  small  reinforce- 
ment, by  the  strong  remonstrance  of  the  soldiers,  who 
placed  a  higher  value  on  their  own  than  their  neighbor's 
work.  The  results  of  this  zealous  industry  were  sur- 
prising. On  the  24th  the  whole  front  of  Jackson's  line 
was  pretty  well  covered  by  a  mound  of  three  or  more 
feet  high.  On  the  extreme  right  the  two  six  pounders, 
which  had  been  used  on  the  23d,  were  placed  in  battery, 
so  as  to  command  the  road. 

On  that  very  day,  the  24th  December,  1814,  the  treaty 
of  peace  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States 
was  completed  and  duly  signed  at  Ghent  by  the  com- 
missioners of  the  two  nations.  It  is  a  painful  reflection 
that  all  the  scenes  of  strife  and  bloodshed  which  we 
shall  describe  occurred  after  the  two  countries  had, 
through  their  representatives,  established  and  agreed 
upon  a  firm  and  lasting  peace  and  friendship.  The 
reproach  and  responsibility  of  such  unnatural  and  un- 
fortunate events  must  ever  attach  to  that  nation  which, 
during  the  discussion  and  negotiation  of  a  treaty  of 
peace,  secretly  fitted  out  and  dispatched  a  warlike  expe- 
dition against  the  nation  with  which  it  was  then  holding 
a  parley. 


196          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

It  was  in  strengthening  these  entrenchments  and  in 
burnishing  their  arms,  the  soldiers  of  Jackson  spent  that 
day  which  they  were  wont  to  devote  to  social  pleasures 
and  festivities,  and  which  was  associated  in  their  memo- 
ries and  hearts  with  the  tenderest  and  most  delightful 
scenes  of  domestic  life  and  social  peace  and  happiness. 
A  stern  sense  of  duty  and  an  ardent  patriotism  sustained 
them  under  discomforts  and  deprivations,  which  were 
rendered  more  palpable  from  contrast  with  the  cus- 
tomary festivities  and  light-hearted  merriments  which, 
among  all  Christian  people,  mark  the  recurrence  of  the 
anniversary  of  the  great  founder  of  Christianity. 


SIR  EDWARD   PACKENHAM.  197 


X. 

SIB  EDWARD   PACKENHAM. 

IT  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  a  gloomier  day  than 
the  Christmas  of  eighteen  hundred  and  fourteen,  aa 
passed  by  the  sons  of  Merrie  England,  in  their  damp, 
miserable,  exposed  and  desolate  camp  on  the  plantation 
of  Yillere".  The  few  luxuries,  which  an  extended  pre- 
datory search  of  the  neighboring  plantations  had  enabled 
them  to  collect  on  the  first  day  after  their  arrival,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  which  they  had  been  so  disagreeably  in- 
terrupted by  their  active  enemy,  were  exhausted,  and 
now  officers  and  soldiers  were  reduced  to  the  very  worst 
kind  of  salt  provisions  and  weevily  biscuit.  Such  sap- 
plies  for  such  troops  were  certainly  discreditable  to  their 
commissariat.  Fortunately,  however,  they  were  vete- 
rans, and  could  bear  up  against  every  hardship  and 
deprivation. 

Under  these  circumstances,  it  would  have  displayed 
marvelous  philosophy  and  equanimity  in  the  British 
soldiers,  if  even  the  genial  associations  of  Christmas 
could  have  imparted  a  ray  of  cheerfulness  to  the  gather- 
ing gloom  which  hung  over  the  camp  and  enveloped  the 
minds  of  officers  and  men. 

The  spirits  of  the  soldiers  had  been  greatly  depressed 
since  the  action  of  the  23d.  All  that  remained  to  sus- 
tain them  was  the  morale  and  discipline  for  which  the 


198          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

British  soldiers,  particularly  the  veterans  of  the  Penin- 
sula, are  so  distinguished.  Besides,  they  were  slightly 
encouraged  by  intimations  of  expected  reinforcements, 
which  would  render  their  entrance  into  the  city  certain 
and  glorious.  Amid  all  their  disasters  and  difficulties, 
the  conquerors  of  Napoleon's  veterans  could  not  bring 
their  minds  to  regard  it  possible,  or  within  the  decree  of 
Providence,  that  they  should  be  foiled,  prostrated,  routed 
and  disgraced  by  raw  militia,  led  by  an  Indian  fighter, 
who  was  ignorant  of  even  the  first  rudiments  of  military 
science. 

In  all  circumstances,  and  conditions,,  too,  men  of  the 
Saxon  and  Celtic  stock  will  divide  into  parties  and 
factions  and  engage  in  feuds  and  controversies.  The 
British  camp  was  not  free  from  these  dissensions.  They 
turned  chiefly  upon  the  wisdom  of  General  Keane's 
course  in  his  mode  of  landing,  and  in  delaying  to  advance 
upon  the  city.  Keane's  friends  and  adherents  defended 
liim  by  hinting  that  the  honor  of  achieving  the  great 
result  was  reserved  for  some  more  distinguished  person- 
age and  pet  of  the  ministry.  The  grade  and  previous 
service  of  General  Keane,  then  quite  a  young  officer, 
and  the  fact  that  he  had  been  sent  out  as  second  to  Hoss, 
evinced  very  clearly  that  it  was  not  the  intention  of  the 
British  Cabinet  to  entrust  him  with  so  important  a  com- 
mand. 

Some  greater  personage  was  hourly  expected,  and 
there,  on  the  bleak  and  cheerless  plain,  the  army  would 
be  detained  until  he  arrived  to  lead  them  into  the  city. 
It  would  be  fortunate  for  the  military  reputation  of 
General  Keane  if  this  suggestion  of  his  friends  were 
founded  on  fact.  It  would  relieve  him  of  a  heavy  load 
of  censure,  which  has  always  attached  to  his  military 


BIB   EDWA1O)   PACKENHAM.  199 

character,  from  the  apparent  want  of  decision,  prompti- 
tude and  military  sagacity  displayed  in  his  failure  to 
advance,  on  his  arrival  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  in  his  inactivity  after  the  battle  of  the  twenty-third. 

These  blunders  were  felt,  acknowledged  and  discussed 
by  every  soldier  in  the  British  camp,  and  though  excused 
and  palliated  by  the  pretexts  alluded  to,  they  produced 
a  want  of  confidence  in  the  General,  and  a  desire  for 
some  more  experienced  and  renowned  chief  to  lead 
them. 

Such  a  chief  appeared  in  the  British  camp  quite 
suddenly  on  the  morning  of  that  gloomy  Christmas,  and 
by  his  presence  communicated  relief,  hope,  and  even 
vivacity  to  the  dejected  spirits  of  the  army.  And  well 
might  such  a  presence  produce  such  effects  upon  the 
veterans  of  Wellington,  for  among  the  commanders, 
whom  the  brilliant  campaigns  of  Spain  had  brought 
into  conspicuous  notice,  there  was  not  one  who  enjoyed 
more  of  the  esteem,  respect,  and  admiration  of  the  Bri- 
tish soldiers,  than  the  Hero  of  Salamanca,  the  Hon.  Sir 
Edward  M.  Packenham,  Lieutenant  General  and  Colonel 
of  the  7th  Foot  (Royal  Fusiliers).  Sir  Edward  was  a 
son  of  the  Earl  of  Longford,  of  the  county  of  Antrim, 
L*eland — whose  daughter  had  been  married  to  the  Duke 
of  "Wellington.  The  family  has  always  been  noted  for 
military  ardor  and  heroism,  and  has  contributed  several 
distinguished  commanders  to  both  the  army  and  navy 
of  Great  Britain.  Quite  recently  the  nephew  and 
namesake  of  Sir  Edward,  Lieut.  Colonel  Edward  Pack- 
enham, of  the  Grenadier  Guards,  fell  gallantly  fighting 
at  the  head  of  his  regiment  in  the  bloody  battle  of 
Inkermann  on  the  5th  of  November,  1854.  He  had 
previous!^  won  a  brevet  and  the  warm  praise  of  his 


JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

commander  by  his  gallantry  at  the  battle  of  Alma, 
where,  leading  his  company,  he  was  the  first  to  leap 
over  the  enclosure  of  the  most  formidable  of  the  Rus- 
sian batteries,  and  was  seen  quietly  scratching  the  name 
of  his  regiment,  the  number  of  his  company,  with  the 
point  of  his  sword  on  the  gun  he  had  taken. 

The  Earldom  of  Longford  is  of  modern  creation,  one 
of  those  which  had  sprung  up  in  Ireland  during  the 
troubles,  incident  to  the  subjugation  of  that  island,  when 
England  sought  to  supersede  the  native  aristocracy,  by 
ennobling  the  successful  soldiers,  who  settled  the  subject 
province.  Thus  originated  the  Earldom  from  which 
that  gallant  soldier,  who  was  sent  to  Louisiana,  as 
his  ancestor  had  been  sent  to  Ireland,  to  reduce  a  free 
people  into  vassalage  to  a  foreign  power,  derived  all  the 
consideration,  which  was  due  to  rank  and  family.  He 
possessed,  however,  a  just  title  to  a  higher  consideration 
and  respect,  as  a  gentleman,  a  gallant  soldier,  and  kind- 
hearted  man.  The  title  was  to  be  found,  in  a  career  of 
great  brilliancy,  of  constant,  severe,  painful  and  perilous 
service,  in  the  profession  in  which,  when  quite  a  boy,  he 
embarked  with  all  the  ardor  and  ambition  characteristic 
of  Irish  birth  and  education.  He  did  not  owe  his 
advancement  to  the  influence  of  family  and  friends. 
He  fought  his  way  up,  round  by  round,  and  marked 
each  grade  with  some  honorable  wound,  so  that  ere  he 
had  reached  the  meridian  of  life  and  of  military  ad- 
vancement, his  body  was  scrolled  over  with  such  insignia 
of  gallantry  and  good  conduct.  Few  officers  had  en- 
countered more  perils  and  hardships,  or  suffered  from 
more  wounds.  Entering  the  army  as  lieutenant  of  23d 
Light  Dragoons,  he  soon  rose  to  the  rank  of  Major.  In 
the  storming  of  the  fort  on  the  island  of  St.  Lucie,  West 


SIR   EDWARD   PACKENHAM.  201 

Indies,  in  1796,  Major  Packenhain  volunteered  to  lead 
the  attacking  columns.  The  charge  was  a  brilliant  and 
successful  one,  but  the  young  leader  was  badly  wounded, 
receiving  a  ball  through  his  neck.  In  the  same  neigh- 
borhood, in  the  expedition  to  Martinique,  in  1806,  having 
been  promoted  to  the  command  of  that  renowned  regi- 
ment, the  7th  Fusiliers,  he  was  again  badly  wounded  at 
the  head  of  the  Fusiliers.* 

During  the  Peninsular  war,  Packenham  was  in  con- 
stant service,  by  the  side  of  Wellington,  and  as  Brigadier 
of  that  impetuous  Welshman,  General  Picton.  Towards 
the  close  of  the  war  he  was  appointed  Adjutant-General, 
at  the  request  of  "Wellington.  Throughout  the  army 
of  the  Peninsula,  he  was  admired  and  beloved  by  both 
officers  and  men.  We  have  not  space  to  describe'all  the 
brilliant  actions  in  which  he  participated,  but  a  few  of 
the  incidents  of  his  career  may  not  be  uninteresting  to 
those  who  have  been  accustomed  to  regard  him  with 
hostility  and  prejudice,  as  the  leader  of  an  expedition 
which  wae  neither  honorable  in  its  design,  nor  glorious 
in  its  conclusion. 

The  brilliant  courage  of  Sir  Edward  Packenham  was 
never  more  conspicuously  displayed  than  in  the  horrible 
and  bloody  night  attack  of  the  British,  on  the  strongly- 
defended  walls  and  fort  of  Badajoz.  On  that  occasion 
the  storming  party  was  for  sometime  mowed  down  with 
merciless  severity,  before  any  one  of  the  soldiers  could 
reach  the  walls.  At  last,  however,  a  few  scattered  men, 
who  had  escaped,  succeeding  in  planting  three  ladders 

*  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  recorded  by  Guthrie  in  his  worV  t.n  gunshot  wounds,  lha 
the  last  mentioned  wound  repaired  one  of  the  effects  of  the  'revious  wound  recei  re<\  by 
Packenham  at  St.  Lucie.  On  both  occasions  he  was  shot  u  the  neck.  The  first  wound 
when  it  healed,  drew  hig  head  on  one  side,  but  the  second  restored  it  to  its  orip inal 
position. 

9*     - 


202  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

against  the  walls.  As  fast  as  the  men  mounted  these 
ladders  they  would  be  shot  down  by  the  French  soldiers 
on  the  parapet.  In  some  cases  the  ladders  broke,  and 
many  of  the  British  soldiers  were  precipitated  below  and 
impaled  upon  the  bayonets  of  their  companions.  Sir 
Edward  Packenham  was  the  second  man  to  mount  one 
of  these  ladders,  being  preceded  by  a  gallant  High- 
lander, Lieutenant  McPherson,  of  the  45th.  Both 
arrived  unharmed  within  a  few  rounds  of  the  top,  when 
McPherson  discovered  that  the  ladder  was  about  three 
feet  too  short.  Still  undaunted,  the  gallant  young  man 
called  loudly  to  those  below,  to  raise  the  ladder  more 
perpendicular.  "Whilst  he  with  great  exertion  parted  it 
from  the  wall  at  the  top,  the  men  with  a  loud  cheer 
brought  it  quickly  nearer  to  the  base.  This  was  done 
so  suddenly,  that  McPherson  was  on  a  level  with  the 
rampart  before  he  could  prepare  for  defence.  He  saw 
a  French  soldier  deliberately  point  his  musket  against 
his  body  and  without  power  to  strike  it  aside,  he  had  to 
receive  the  fire.  The  ball  struck  one  of  th*e  Spanish 
silver  buttons  on  his  waistcoat,  which  it  broke  in  half. 
This  changed  its  direction  and  caused  it  to  glance  off, 
not  however,  before  it  had  broken  two  ribs,  the  fractured 
part  of  one  being  pressed  in  on  his  lungs  so  as  almost  to 
stop  respiration.  Still  he  did  not  fall,  but  continued  to 
hold  on  by  the  upper  round  of  the  ladder,  conceiving 
that  he  was  wounded,  but  ignorant  to  what  extent.  He 
could  not,  however,  advance.  Packenham  strove  to  pass 
him,  but  in  the  effort  was  also  badly  wounded,  a  French 
soldier  firing  a  musket  into  his  body,  at  a  distance  of 
three  or  four  feet.  Almost  at  the  same  time,  the  ladder 
cracked  beneath  them.  Destruction  seemed  inevitable. 
Before  them  on  the  ramparts  stood  a  line  of  French 


SIR   EDWABD   PACKENHAM.  203 

soldiers  presenting  their  muskets ;  beneath,  their  own 
friends  crowded  together,  formed  a  C/^uauxde-frise  of 
bayonets.  Even  at  such  a  perilous  and  awful  moment, 
the  presence  of  mind  of  these  two  brave  men  did  not 
desert  them.  Packenham  grasping  the  hand  of  the 
wounded  McPherson,  said  "  God  bless  you  my  dear 
fellow,  we  shall  meet  again." 

They  did  meet  again,  but  not  as  Packenham  meant, 
for  they  marvelously  escaped,  and  recovering  from  their 
wounds,  were  enabled  to  perform  many  acts  of  conspi- 
cuous gallantry  in  the  events  which  followed. 

As  Brigadier  of  the  "  Old  Fighting  Third,"  the  divi 
sion  of  Wellington's  army  so  famous  for  its  daring  under 
the  lead  of  Picton,  the  sickness  of  the  chief  devolved 
upon  Packenham  the  command  of  the  division  on  the 
eve  of  the  battle  of  Salamanca  When  Picton  heard 
who  was  to  command  his  division,  he  observed,  "  I  am 
glad  he  is  to  lead  my  brave  fellows ;  they  will  have 
plenty  of  their  favorite  sport."  In  this  battle  Welling- 
ton opened  the  fight  by  riding  up  to  Packenham  at  the 
head  of  the  Third  Division  ordering  him  to  move  for- 
ward, take  the  heights  in  front  and  drive  everything 
before  him. 

"  Give  me  one  grasp  of  that  all-conquering  hand," 
exclaimed  the  enthusiastic  Packenham,  who  entertained 
for  his  chief  a  most  chivalric  and  ardent  attachment, 
"  and  I  WILL."  How  he  redeemed  this  pledge  is  thus 
vigorously  and  graphically  described  by  Alison  : 

"  It  was  five  o'clock  when  Packenham  fell  on  Thormiere,  who, 
BO  far  from  being  prepared  for  such  an  onset,  had  just  reached  an 
open  hill,  the  last  of  the  ridge  over  which  he  had  extended,  from 
whence  he  expected  to  see  the  allied  army  in  full  retreat  to  Cieudad 
Rodrigo,  and  Closely  pursued  by  Marmont,  defiling  in  the  valley 


204  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

before  him.  To  effect  a  change  of  front  in  such  circumstances,  was 
impossible.  All  that  could  be  done  was  to  resist  instantly,  as  they 
stood.  The  British  columns  formed  into  line  as  they  marched,  so 
that  the  moment  they  came  in  sight  of  the  enemy,  they  were 
ready  to  charge.  In  an  instant  the  French  gunners  were  at  their 
pieces,  and  a  cloud  of  light  troops  hastened  to  the  front,  and  endea- 
vored by  a  rapid  fire  to  cover  the  formation  of  the  troops  behind. 
Vain  attempt !  Eight  onward  through  the  storms  of  bullets  did  the 
British,  led  by  the  heroic  Packenham,  advance ;  the  light  troops  are 
dispersed  before  them  like  chaff  before  the  wind ;  the  half-formed 
lines  are  broken  into  fragments;  Durban's  Portuguese  Cavalry, 
supported  by  Harvey's  English  Dragoons,  and  Arentchild's  German 
Horse,  turned  their  right  flank,  scrambled  up  the  steep  sides  of  a 
bush-fringed  stream,  which  flowed  behind  the  ridge,  yet  not  at  first 
in  confusion,  but  skillfully,  like  gallant  veterans,  seizing  every  suc- 
cessive wood  and  hill  which  offered  the  means  of  arresting  the 
enemy.  Gradually,  however,  the  reflux  and  pressing  together  of 
BO  large  a  body,  by  enemies  at  once  in  front  and  in  flank,  threw 
their  array  into  confusion  ;  their  cavalry  were  routed  and  driven 
among  the  foot.  Thormiere  himself  was  killed  whilst  striving  to 
stem  the  torrent;  the  allied  cavalry  broke  like  a  flood  into  the 
openings  of  the  infantry,  and  his  whole  division  was  thrown  back, 
entirely  routed,  on  Clansel's,  which  was  hurrying  up  to  its  aid,  with 
the  loss  of  three  thousand  prisoners." 

Of  this  brilliant  action  Packenham  was  emphatically 
the  hero,  and  for  his  service  on  this  occasion  was  knighted. 

Nor  was  Sir  Edward  Packenham  less  distinguished  for 
his  high  honor,  chivalry,  and  humanity,  than  for  his 
courage  and  daring.  As  his  name  has  been  associated 
with  the  imputed  design  of  sacking  New  Orleans,  and 
perpetrating  upon  its  peaceful  population  the  most 
brutal  and  infamous  excesses,  which  design  was  em- 
bodied in  the  alleged  war-cry  .of  the  British  army — 
"Beauty  and  booty" — a  cry  not  inconsistent  with  the 
character  which  a  portion  of  the  army  had  acquired  on 


BIB  EDWAED  PACZENHAM.  205 

the  shores  of  the  Chesapeake,  and  in  the  Peninsular  war, 
we  take  pleasure  in  referring  to  the  antecedents  of  Pack- 
enham,  to  rebut  all  presumption  that  he  was  cognizant 
of,  or  would  have  given  the  slightest  sanction  to,  such 
disgraceful  purposes.  How  he  would  have  acted  to- 
wards any  of  his  command,  who  might  have  been 
implicated  in  such  outrages,  may  be  inferred  from  his 
conduct  in  Spain,  when  entering  a  town,  in  which  cer- 
tain French  citizens  had  been  outraged  by  some  British 
soldiers,  he  caused  the  latter  to  be  hung  on  the  spot, 
"  thereby,"  says  Napier,  "  nipping  the  wickedness  in  the 
bud,  but  at  his  own  risk,  for  legally  he  had  not  the 
power."  Napier  has  thought  proper  to  add,  with  the 
commendable  feeling  of  a  soldier  defending  a  brother 
in  arms:  "This  General,  whose  generosity,  humanity 
and  chivalric  spirit  excited  the  admiration  of  every 
honorable  person  who  approached  him,  has  been/  foully 
traduced  by  American  writers.  He  who  was  preemi- 
nently distinguished  for  his  detestation  of  inhumanity 
and  outrage,  has  been,  with  astounding  falsehood,  repre- 
sented as  instigating  his  troops  to  the  most  infamous 
excesses." 

Napier  evidently  errs  in  assuming  for  the  Commander, 
a  charge  against  many  of  his  subordinates,  who,  as  may 
be  proved  by  documents  now  extant,  freely  declared  the 
predatory  purposes  of  the  expedition.  Besides,  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  enterprise — undertaken  as  it  was, 
whilst  the  commissioners  of  both  nations  were  engaged 
in  negotiations,  to  establish  peace  between  the  two 
countries  on  a  permanent  and  satisfactory  basis — will 
ever  give  it  a  questionable  character,  and  lead  all  im- 
partial persons  to  believe  that  its  main  purpose  was 
booty — the  appropriation  of  the  fifteen  millions  of  the 


206  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

produce  of  the  peaceful  industry  of  the  country,  to  the 
enrichment  of  rude  soldiers,  whose  lives  had  been 
devoted  to  the  destruction  rather  than  to  the  increase 
of  the  wealth  of  the  world.  Gallant,  generous  and  high- 
minded,  as  he  personally  was,  Packenham's  name  and 
fame  cannot  be  considered  as  entirely  free  from  the 
reproach,  which  must  attach  to  all  those  who  were  asso- 
ciated in  an  expedition  prompted  by  such  motives. 
Certainly,  Sir  William  Napier  would  not  deny  what  the 
pages  of  his  own  incomparable  history  so  abundantly 
prove,  that  the  British  soldiers  were  not  only  capable 
of,  but  prone  to  the  excesses  which,  it  has  so  often  been 
charged,  were  to  follow  the  capture  of  New  Orleans. 
Frequently,  in  the  towns  in  the  Peninsula,  the  Spaniards 
found  better  protection  from  their  enemies,  the  French, 
than  from  their  allies,  the  British  soldiers.  The  actors 
in  the  scenes  at  Cumberland  Island,  at  Hampton,  Alex- 
andria and  "Washington  City ;  the  incendiaries  of  libra- 
ries, of  printing  presses,  of  private  property  of  every 
description ;  the  mutilators  of  public  monuments,  could 
hardly  complain,  if  suspected  of  too  strong  an  appetite 
for  the  rich  booty  which  was  heaped  up  in  the  great 
depot  of  the  Yalley  of  the  Mississippi. 

This  charge  against  the  originators  and  projectors  of 
the  expedition  to  New  Orleans,  as  one  for  plunder  and 
spoils,  is  too  well  established  now  to  be  questioned. 
British  testimony  alone  is  sufficient  to  prove  the  truth 
of  these  allegations.  This  may  not  be  an  unappropriate 
place  to  quote  a  few  authorities  from  that  source.  Major 
Cook  of  the  British  43d,  who  was  engaged  in  the  ex- 
pedition to  New  Orleans,  and  has  written  a  lively  work 
on  this  campaign,  which  has  been  well  received  in  Eng- 
land, says :  "  Notwithstanding  all  these  natural  draw- 


SIR   EDWARD   PACKENHAM.  2u7 

backs  the  city  of  New  Orleans  with  its  valuable  booty 
of  merchandise  was  craved  by  the  British  to  grasp  such 
a  prize,  by  a  coup  de  main"  In  another  place  he 
remarks,  "  the  warehouses  of  the  city  were  amply  stored 
with  cotton  to  a  vast  amount,  and  also  sugar,  molasses, 
tobacco  and  other  products  of  this  prolific  soil." 

The  author  of  the  campaigns  of  the  British  at  Wash- 
ington, Batimore,  and  New  Orleans  says:  "And  it 
appears  that  instead  of  a  trifling  affair,  more  likely  to  fill 
our  pockets  than  to  add  to  our  renown,  we  had  embarked 
in  an  undertaking,  which  presented  difficulties  not  to  be 
surmounted  without  patience  and  determination."  A  let- 
ter from  Colonel  Malcolm,  at  Cumberland  Island,  to  his 
brother  the  Bear  Admiral  in  the  fleet,  under  Cochrane, 
which  was  intercepted  by  an  American  cruiser,  express- 
ing the  hope  that  the  writer  would  soon  hear  of  the 
capture  of  New  Orleans,  adds  :  '  It  will  repay  the  troops 
for  all  their  trouble  and  fatigue.'  Mr.  Glover,  a  British 
employee,  in  a  letter  found  in  the  same  package,  to 
Oaptain  Westphall,  mingles  prescience  and  avarice  in 
the  following  apprehension :  '  My  forebodings  will  not 
allow  me  to  anticipate  either  honor  or  profit  to  the  ex- 
pedition.' ': 

History,  however,  must  acquit  Sir  Edward  Packen- 
ham  of  any  motives  or  design  of  plunder  or  brutality, 
in  accepting  this  command.  It  was,  doubtless,  in  the 
discharge  of  what  he  deemed  his  duty,  and  to  gratify 
what  he  regarded  an  honorable  ambition,  that  he  came 
to  assume  the  Governorship  of  Louisiana,  and,  with  it, 
the  Earldom,  that  was  to  reward  his  conquest  of  a  Pro- 
vince, which  Great  Britain  had  long  entertained  an 
ardent  desire  to  possess.  We  do  not  believe  that  the 
English  Government  would  have  allowed  Sir  Edward's 


208  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

modesty  or  chivalry  to  prevail  over  the  necessity  of 
supporting  this  new  Earldom  by  some  adequate  moneyed 
allowance ;  nor  that  they  would  have  regarded  it  as  at 
all  improper  to  apply  to  that  object,  a  large  share  of  the 
fifteen  millions  of  cotton  and  sugar  then  in  the  ware- 
houses of  New  Orleans.  If  one  of  "  the  greatest  soldiers, 
Englishmen  and  Christians,  that  ever  lived,'*  as  Sir  Wil- 
liam Napier  has  styled  his  distinguished  relative,  the 
conqueror  of  Scinde,  in  a  funeral  oration,  recently  deli- 
vered at  the  burial  of  that  heroic  soldier  (no  less 
remarkable  for  its  extravagance,  than  its  terseness),  did 
not  sully  his  laurels  by  enriching  himself  out  of  the 
spoils,  the  treasure,  the  jewels  and  precious  metals  of 
the  subjugated  Ameers,  certainly  his  historian  will  not 
include  us  in  the  class  of  American  writers  who  have 
"traduced"  the  memory  and  fame  of  Packenham,  for 
intimating  that  his  successful  entrance  into  the  city  of 
New  Orleans  would  have  supplied  all  those  deficiencies 
of  fortune,  which  too  often  mark  the  condition  of  meri- 
torious younger  sons  of  the  nobility  of  Great  Britain. 

With  Sir  Edward  came,  as  second  in  command,  Major 
General  Samuel  Gibbs,  Colonel  of  the  59th  Foot,  a  very 
active  and  experienced  officer,  who  had  greatly  distin- 
guished himself  in  the  East,  and  particularly  in  the 
storming  of  Fort  Cornelius,  on  the  island  of  Java,  and  in 
the  Peninsular  war.  There  were  also  several  distin- 
guished staff,  engineer,  and  artillery  officers,  who  came 
with  Sir  Edward  Packenham. 

It  has  quite  recently — since  the  death  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington  and  the  publication  of  his  letters — come 
to  light,  that  the  project  was  seriously  discussed  in  the 
British  cabinet  of  placing  Wellington  at  the  head  of 
the  expedition  to  New  Orleans,  and  that  he  manifested 


SIB   EDWARD   PACKENIIAM.  209 

no  reluctance  to  undertake  the  enterprise.  In  one  of  hia 
letters,  recently  published,  he  refers  to  the  subject,  say- 
ing he  would  cheerfully  accept  the  duty,  if  it  was 
imposed  upon  him,  gives  some  very  crude  views  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  war  should  be  conducted,  and 
declares  his  belief  that  the  troops  he  had  seen  embark 
for  America  at  Bordeaux,  in  the  summer  of  1814,  must 
be  very  badly  handled  if  they  did  not  prove  victors  in 
any  contest  in  which  they  might  be  engaged.  Fortunate 
decision  of  the  British  Cabinet!*  Wellington  was  re- 
tained at  home.  The  ministry,  however,  sent  some  of 
his  ablest  lieutenants — upon  whose  brows  the  laurels 
of  Spain  were  destined  to  be  supplanted  by  the  cypress 
of  Louisiana — to  execute  the  plan  of  operations  of  their 
great  chief.  Ross  had  fallen  on  the  banks  of  the 
Petapsco,  and  Packenham  was  sent  to  take  his  place. 

Favoring  winds  brought  him  swiftly  to  the  scenes  of 
his  future  operations.  As  he  stepped  from  the  barge,  at 
the  head  of  Villere's  Canal,  surrounded  by  his  gallant 
staff,  and  greeted  by  many  of  the  officers  of  the  army, 
his  proud  heart  swelled  with  satisfaction  and  hope,  at 
the  prospect,  now  first  opened  to  him,  of  rivaling  the 
fame  of  his  great  relative,  by  an  exploit  that  would  ring 
through  the  world,  and  bring  out  the  old  Tower  guns  to 
awaken  the  quiet  Londoners  with  their  thundering  an- 

*  After  the  campaign,  and  to  the  day  of  his  death,  the  Duke  was  a  great  admirer  of 
General,  Jackson,  and  whilst  the  latter  lived,  never  failed  when  he  was  introduced  to 
an  American,  to  inquire  after  the  General's  health.  The  Earl  of  Ellesmere,  who  visited 
New  York  during  the  Industrial  Exhibition  of  1853,  related  to  General  Quitman  that 
being  on  very  intimate  terms  with  the  Duke,  he  frequently  visited  him  in  his  private 
room.  The  Duke  had  a  habit  whenever  he  received  any  document,  which  afforded  him 
pleasure,  of  crumpling  it  in  his  hand  and  waving  it  over  his  head.  On  one  occasion 
the  Earl  surprised  the  Duke  in  one  of  these  curious  displays  of  satisfaction,  which  was 
more  than  usually  enthusiastic  ;  and  inquiring  the  cause,  learned  that  the  crumple^ 
document  over  which  the  great  warrior  wus  so  much  elated  was  a  simple  letter  of  in. 
troduction  from  General  Jucksou ! 


210          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

nouncemeat  of  another  great  victory  won  by  the  heroes 
of  the  Peninsula.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life,  Packen- 
ham  found  himself  in  an  independent  command,  at  the 
head  of  one  of  the  choicest  and  most  efficient  armies 
that  England  ever  sent  forth.  This,  for  a  man  of  thirty- 
eight,  was  certainly  a  proud  distinction.  As  his  eye  ran 
down  the  lists  of  the  regiments  of  his  command,  Pack- 
enham  could  not  but  repeat,  with  his  full  endorsement, 
the  remark  of  Wellington,  as  to  their  invincibility. 
Except  the  93d  Highlanders  and  the  Black  Regiments, 
they  were  all  troops  which  fought  through  the  whole 
war  in  the  Peninsula,  from  Moore's  retreat  to  "Welling- 
ton's triumphant  entry  into  France. 

There  were  the  Rifles,  which,  under  Crauford  and 
Barnard,  had  opened  nearly  every  battle  that  Wellington 
fought.  There  were  the  85,  the  44th,  the  21st  and 
14th  Dragoons,  all  bronzed  veterans,  who  had  never 
known  defeat,  and  who  were  as  familiar  with  all  the 
horrors  and  exigencies  of  war,  as  if  they  had  been 
nursed  by  Bellona.  Others,  too,  of  equal  renown,  were 
hourly  expected.  The  43d,  the  40tb,  and  above  all 
Packenham's  own  Fusiliers,  the  7th,  at  whose  head  he 
had  so  often  marched  to  victory  and  received  so  many 
honorable  wounds.  Who,  under  like  circumstances, 
would  not  have  felt  the  glow  of  pride,  enthusiasm  and 
cheerful  confidence,  which  radiated  the  manly  counte- 
nance of  Packenham,  when  Keane  stepped  forward  and, 
saluting  him,  gladly  relinquished  a  command  which  had 
become  to  him  a  wearisome  burden  ? 

There  was  great  rejoicing  in  the  British  camp  over 
the  arrival  of  Packenham.  Loud  cheers  rent  the  air. 
Even  salvos  of  artillery  were  fired  in  honor  of  the  event. 
This  joy  and  commotion  were  quite  perceptible  to  the 


SIR   EDWARD   PAuKENHAM.  211 

American  outposts,  who  soon  ascertained  the  cause  and 
communicated  it  to  Jackson.  The  next  day  the  news 
flew  through  the  American  lines  that  a  famous  British 
general — some  had  it  the  Duke  of  Wellington  himself — 
had  arrived  in  the  British  camp.  Henceforth,  it  was 
said,  the  operations  of  the  British  would  be  conducted 
with  much  more  vigor  and  power,  and  with  more  effi- 
cient forces  and  appliances  than  had  been  employed 
heretofore.  These  stories,  with  all  their  exaggerations, 
did  not  appal  the  spirit  or  weaken  the  energies  of  Jack- 
son. Indeed,  the  only  visible  eifect  they  produced  was 
to  communicate  greater  activity  and  resolution  to  all  his 
movements  and  measures  for  the  maintenance  of  his 
position.  Without  dismounting,  for  hours  and  hours,  he 
paeed  along  the  line  of  the  Rodriguez  Canal,  encourag- 
ing and  inciting  his  men  by  every  influence  which  he 
could  use,  to  labor  in  the  rude  entrenchment  which  his 
engineers  had  drawn  along  the  canal.  "  Here,"  he 
remarked  to  them,  in  the  frontier  style,  "  we  shall  plant 
our  stakes,  and  not  abandon  them  until  we  drive  these 
red-coat  rascals  into  the  river,  or  the  swamp." 

Packenham,  who  had  the  eye  of  a  soldier,  was  not 
pleased  with  his  first  glance  at  the  position  of  his  army. 
It  did  not  take  much  time  for  him  to  comprehend  all 
the  perils  and  embarrassments  that  environed  him. 
Concealing  his  feeling  and  impressions,  he  assembled  the 
chief  officers  at  Yillere's  house,  where  he  established 
his  headquarters. 

There,  in  the  parlor  of  the  patriotic  planter,  who  was 
then  but  a  few  miles  off,  aiding  in  the  organization  of 
the  militia,  who  were  daily  dispatched  to  reinforce 
Jackson,  met  a  score  or  more  of  the  most  distinguished 


212          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

veteran  officers  of  the  Peninsular  war,  to  deliberate 
upon  the  means  of  resisting  and  defeating  a  militia 
general,  at  the  head  of  a  force  of  raw  militia,  inferior  in 
number  to  their  own  gallant  array  of  veteran  and  prac- 
ticed warriors.  Many  of  them  had  not  seen  their  asso- 
ciates since  they  parted  in  Spain  ;  many,  like  the  officers 
of  the  93d,  newly  arrived  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
had  not  met  for  eight  or  ten  years. 

But  there  was  no  time  for  congratulations  or  the  in- 
terchange of  friendly  conversation.  The  business  before 
them  was  serious  and  pressing.  Their  consultation  ex- 
tended far  into  the  night.  What  then  and  there  occur- 
red must  ever  be  a  mystery,  but  enough  leaked  out  to 
convince  the  younger  officers,  that  Sir  Edward  was 
greatly  dissatisfied  with  the  aspect  of  affairs,  and  after 
receiving  a  full  report  of  Keane's  operations,  entertain- 
ed but  little  hope  of  achieving  the  object  of  the  expedi- 
tion. He  perceived  and  lamented  the  original  error,  in 
not  advancing  on  the  23d.  It  was  even  said  that  he 
thought  of  withdrawing  the  army  and  attempting  a 
landing  in  another  quarter.  But  that  sturdy  veteran, 
Sir  Alexander  Cochrane,  who  attended  the  council,  was 
of  sterner  stuff,  and  regarded  the  expedition  as  far  from 
being  defeated  or  foiled.  If  the  army  shrunk  from  the 
task,  he  would  bring  up  the  sailors  and  marines  from 
the  fleet,  and  storm  the  American  lines,  and  march  into 
the  city.  "The  soldiers  could  then,"  added  the  bitter 
old  Scotchman,  "  bring  up  the  baggage. 

The  confidence  of  the  old  tar  was  happily  illustrated 
by  an  authentic  anecdote.  One  of  the  British  prison- 
ers captured  on  the  23d  December,  stated  to  General 
Jackson,  that  the  Admiral  had  sworn  that  he  would  eat 


BIB   EDWARD   PACKENIIA1I.  213 

his  Christmas  dinner  in  the  city.  Jackson  promptly 
replied,  "  Perhaps  so,  but  I  shall  have  the  honor  of 
presiding  at  that  dinner." 

It  was  finally  determined  to  advance  and  carry  the 
enemy's  entrenchments  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

The  original  error  in  regard  to  the  superior  force  of 
the  Americans  still  clung  to  them.  Even  then,  when 
they  had  had  the  opportunity  for  observation,  which  their 
position  afforded, — and  when  the  Americans  had  but 
two  small  artillery  pieces,  and  their  entrenchments  were 
but  just  commenced,  they  neglected  to  advance  with 
an  army  which  exceeded  by  two  or  three  thousand  that 
of  Jackson's  command.  This,  for  the  Americans,  fortu- 
nate remissness,  was  all  due  to  the  impression  which 
Jackson  had  made  on  the  minds  of  the  British  by  his 
extraordinary  and  brilliant  attack  on  the  23d. 

Packenhani,  on  assuming  the  command  of  the  army, 
changed  its  organization,  by  forming  two  columns,  or 
brigades,  under  the  command  of  Generals  Gibbs  and 
Keane.  How  these  brigades  were  composed,  will  ap- 
pear hereafter. 

Early  the  next  day,  the  26th  December,  Packenham 
rode  out  with  his  staff  and  Generals  to  reconnoitre  the 
American  lines.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  along 
the  plain,  which  lay  before  him,  he  could  perceive  no 
evidence  of  any  regular  force  opposed  to  him.  The 
only  living  objects  he  could  discern  were  bodies  of 
horsemen,  galloping  over  the  field  in  a  very  unmilitary 
fashion,  apparently  watching  every  movement  in  the 
British  camp,  and  now  and  then  cracking  away  with 
their  long  rifles  at  the  outposts  and  sentinels.  Then 
these  stragglers  would  wheel  and  return  leisurely  to  an 
old  chateau,  about  long  musket  shot  from  the  British 


214          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

sentries,  which  appeared  to  be  their  general  rendezvous. 
These  scouts  presented  more  the  appearance  of  snipe 
and  rabbit  hunters  beating  the  bushes  for  their  game, 
than,  of  soldiers  seeking  opportunities  to  annoy  their 
enemies.  It  was  a  novel  sight  to  Packenham,  accus- 
tomed as  he  was  to  the  formal  and  regular  mode  of  con- 
ducting warlike  operations  of  the  French  and  British 
armies. 

Beyond  these,  there  was  no  other  evidence  of  the 
presence  of  a  hostile  army.  This  mysterious  and  si- 
lent aspect  in  front  served  to  increase  the  anxiety  and 
embarrassment  of  the  British  General.  The  movements 
of  these  irregular  troops  indicated  the  confidence  of  a 
powerful  force  strongly  posted  in  the  rear,  as  well  as  the 
audacity  of  men  who  had  been  under  fire  and  had  tast- 
ed of  the  horrors  of  war.  They  were  no  timid  militia- 
men, like  those  who  had  offered  so  feeble  a  resistance  at 
Washington;  or,  rather,  in  justice  to  the  latter,  many 
of  whom  were  personally  as  brave  as  any  who  ever 
shouldered  a  musket,  we  should  say  there  was  unmistak- 
able evidence  of  the  presence  among  them  of  a  chief, 
who  inspired  confidence,  courage,  and  determination  in 
all  under  his  command. 

This  observation  satisfied  Packenham,  that  he  had 
but  one  course  to  pursue,  and  that  was  to  carry  the 
enemies  lines,  wherever  they  were,  by  storm.  As  soon 
as  this  resolution  was  taken,  all  anxiety  and  care  disap- 
peared from  his  countenance.  He  immediately  set  to 
work  to  prepare  for  the  advance. 

But,  before  this  could  be  done,  a  serious  obstacle  had 
to  be  removed.  Those  terrible  floating  batteries,  tho 
Carolina  and  Louisiana,  still  retained  their  position,  an- 
chored near  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  and  kept 


SIR   EDWARD    PACKENHAM.  215 

up  a  continual  cannonading  on  the  British  camp. 
Whereever  a  knot  of  British  could  be  seen,  a  shower  of 
grape  would  be  thrown  at  them  with  such  accuracy 
that  they  would  be  quickly  dispersed,  and  compelled  to 
take  shelter.  Even  those  who  took  refuge  in  the  houses 
were  not  safe.  Many  a  social  party  who  met  stealthily 
in  some  quiet  little  negro  hut,  behind  the  chimneys,  or 
in  some  nook  of  the  larger  houses,  to  enjoy  a  few  com- 
forts and  relieve  the  distress  and  tedium  of  their  situa- 
tion by  a  little  conviviality,  would  suddenly  be  intruded 
upon  by  a  cannon-ball  sent  from  one  of  Patterson's  ves- 
sels, producing  a  very  precipitate  scattering  of  the 
party.  It  was  impossible  to  form  a  column  under  the 
fire  of  these  vessels.  Orders  were  therefore  issued  to 
hurry  up  all  the  large  cannon  which  could  be  spared 
from  the  fleet,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  them  to  bear 
on  the  two  formidable  little  vessels.  By  incredible  ex- 
ertions, the  chief  labor  being  performed  by  the  sailors, 
under  Cochrane  and  Malcolm,  a  powerful  battery  of 
twelve  and  eighteen  -pounders  was  brought  up  on  the 
night  of  the  26th,  and  planted  on  the  levee,  so  as  to 
command  the  Carolina  and  Louisiana. 

On  the  morning  of  the  27th,  the  American  lines  were 
aroused  by  a  severe  and  prolonged  cannonading  from 
the  British  camp.  This  was  the  first  intimation  of  the 
presence  of  heavy  artillery  among  the  enemy.  The 
Americans  collected  on  the  levee  to  see  whence  the 
firing  proceeded.  There  could  be  no  doubt  of  the  object. 
It  was  now  seen,  what  terrible  plagues  those  vessels  had 
been.  All  their  power  and  skill  were  concentrated  to 
destroy  them.  Their  battery  was  evidently  a  powerful 
one,  and  was  manned  by  officers  and  men  who  under- 
stood their  business.  Their  fire  was  gallantly  and  briskly 


216  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

returned  from  both   vessels.     Never   were   broadsides 
given  with,  more  rapidity  and  accuracy. 

The  British  could  only  escape  their  effects  by  watch- 
ing the  flash  of  the  guns,  and  then  taking  refuge  under 
the  levee.  Loud  cheers  arose  from  each  line,  at  every 
discharge  of  their  respective  batteries,  which  could  be 
distinctly  heard  in  both  camps.  From  the  dormant 
window  of  the  Macarte  House,  Jackson  narrowly 
watched  the  combat  through  a  telescope.  Paekenham 
stood  on  the  levee  near  his  battery  cheering  and  en- 
couraging the  artillerists.  The  banks  of  the  river,  for 
some  distance  below,  and  as  far  above  the  American 
lines  as  would  afford  a  view  of  the  field,  were  lined  with 
spectators,  who  regarded  the  scene  with  intense  interest. 
A  tempest  of  cannon  balls  was  poured  upon  the  devoted 
vessels,  amid  which  gleamed,  like  flaming  comets,  red 
hot  shot,  whilst  bursting  shells  and  steaming  rockets 
spread  a  halo  of  fire  around  them.  Thus  the  cannon- 
ading was  sustained  for  a  half  an  hour  before  it  was 
discovered  that  any  effect  was  produced  upon  the  ves- 
sels. At  last  it  was  quite  perceptible  in  both  armies, 
that  the  Carolina  had  been  struck.  There  was  a  com- 
motion upon  her  decks.  Her  firing  ceased.  Presently 
her  crew  were  seen  clambering  down  her  sides,  and 
taking  to  the  boats.  In  good  order,  without  alarm  or 
confusion,  the  boats  being  all  filled,  pushed  off  for  the 
opposite  shore,  not.  however,  without  shouting  a  loud 
defiance  at  their  foes.  Then,  when  all  had  left  her,  a 
light  flame  was  seen,  rising  from  her  deck,  which  the 
light  breeze  fed  and  kindled,  until  it  spread  through  the 
hull  of  the  vessel,  and  then  tapering  off  with  the  tall 
masts  and  branching  spars,  involved  the  whole  vessel  in 
a  fiery  embrace.  Now  the  British  gave  three  loud  cheers, 


SIB  EDWARD   PACKENHAM.  217 

which  almost  equalled  the  thunder  of  their  cannon  in 
volume,  and  echoed  far  up  and  down  the  river.  Eager- 
ly they  watched  the  progress  of  the  flames,  as  they  ra- 
pidly devoured  the  gallant  little  vessel.  At  last  the  fire 
reached  the  magazine,  and  then,  with  an  explosion, 
which  shook  the  earth  for  miles  around,  the  Carolina 
was  blown  to  atoms.  Her  crew,  however,  under  the 
indefatigable  Captain  Henley,  gained  the  shore  in  safe- 
ty, with  the  loss  of  one  sailor  killed  and  six  wounded. 
This  event  drew  a  deep  sigh  from  the  bosoms  of  the  se- 
veral thousands  of  Americans  who  looked  on.  In  the 
British  camp  it  was  hailed  with  unbounded  delight  and 
most  enthusiastic  hurras. 

Well,  the  British  might  shout  and  rejoice.  That  little 
vessel  had  not  given  them  an  hour's  respite  since  they 
reached  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi.  It  had  saluted 
them,  on  their  arrival,  with  a  broadside  which  placed  a 
hundred  of  their  men  hors  de  combat.  For  the  three 
days  following,  there  was  not  an  hour  that  it  did  not 
sweep  the  field  in  which  the  British  lay  with  its  terrible 
battery.  Its  destruction,  therefore,  might  justly  be 
celebrated  as  a  jubilee  in  the  British  camp. 

Packenham  and  his  soldiers  now  breathed  freer.  A 
thorn  had  been  removed  from  the  side  of  the  army, 
yet  their  flank  was  not  entirely  cleared.  Absorbed  in 
their  design  of  getting  rid  of  their  older  enemy,  they 
had  lost  sight  of  the  larger  ship  Louisiana,  which  lay 
higher  up  the  stream.  It  was  a  great  blunder  of  the 
British  to  open  with  their  battery  on  the  Carolina  in- 
stead of  the  Louisiana.  Whilst  they  were  at  work  on 
the  schooner,  Lieutenant  Thompson,  on  the  Louisiana, 
was  straining  every  nerve  to  get  that  ship  beyond  the 
reach  of  their  batteries.  Since  the  destruction  of  the 

10 


218  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

Carolina  and  the  gun-boats,  the  Louisiana  was  the  only 
vessel  left  to  the  Americans.  Jackson's  last  word  to 
Thompson  was  to  save  her  at  every  risk.  Her  com- 
mander was  the  man  to  execute  such  an  order.  Thomp- 
son had  displayed  amazing  energy  in  raising  a  crew  and 
equipping  the  Louisiana  for  service  in  a  few  days.  He 
had  been  driven  to  the  necessity  of  scouring  the  streets 
and  impressing  sailors  to  fill  the  complement  of  men 
necessary  to  man  his  guns.  "With  this  fresh  and  ill-dis- 
ciplined crew,  he  suddenly  found  himself  in  a  most  per- 
plexing situation.  The  Carolina  had  been  blown  up,  so 
near  that  her  burning  fragments  fell  on  the  decks  of  the 
Louisiana.  Both  wind  and  current  were  against  him. 
The  balls  of  the  British  battery  began  to  fall  thickly 
around,  and  the  water  hissed  and  simmered  with  the  hot 
shell  that  bounded  towards  and  over  her.  At  last 
Thompson  bethought  him  of  towing,  and  putting  all 
hands  to  work  at  the  boats,  succeeded  in  moving  her 
slowly,  until  she  was  beyond  reach  of  the  British ;  not, 
however,  without  some  damage,  caused  by -a  shell, 
which  fell  on  the  decks  and  wounded  several  men.  It 
was  indeed  a  narrow  escape.  As  she  moved  up  stream, 
and  gaining  a  position  nearly  abreast  of  the  American 
camp,  let  go  her  anchors,  at  the  same  time  firing  a  de- 
fiant volley  at  the  British,  the  Americans,  whose  hearts 
and  countenances  had  fallen  under  the  disaster  of  the 
Carolina,  gave  three  loud  cheers,  which  could  be  dis- 
tinctly heard  in  the  British  camp. 

The  removal  of  these  vessels  communicated  fresh 
hope  and  confidence  to  the  British  army.  "Whilst  the 
battery  was  engaged  with  the  American  vessels,  Gibbs 
and  Keane  were  forming  their  columns  for  the  advance. 
Having  relieved  their  flank  of  its  vigorous  and  active 


SIR   EDWARD   PACKENHAM.  219 

foe,  these  columns  could  now  form  in  the  open  field. 
Accordingly  towards  evening,  on  the  27th,  a  rocket  was 
sent  up  from  the  headquarters  of  the  General-in-Chief. 
At  that  signal  the  British  army  moved  forward,  aban- 
doning ground,  which  had  but  few  attractions  or  pleas- 
ing associations  to  the  minds  of  the  soldiers.  Gibbs  led 
his  column  under  cover  of.  the  wood  on  the  right,  and 
Keane  marched  by  the  road  near  the  river,  keeping 
Bienvenu's  and  Chalmette's  houses  between  him  and  the 
American  lines.  Thus  the  two  columns  advanced  to  a 
point  within  four  or  six  hundred  yards  of  the  American 
lines.  Night  closing  upon  them,  the  soldiers  were 
ordered  to  lie  down  in  their  places  and  refresh  them- 
selves with  sleep.  Promptly  they  obeyed  the  order,  in 
the  fond  hope  of  resting  and  recuperating  their  wearied 
bodies.  Delusive  hope  !  There  again  were  those  un- 
tiring "  land  privateers "  in  their  front,  who  appeared 
never  to  sleep  themselves,  nor  willing  to  allow  others  to 
enjoy  that  blessing.  There  they  were,  hovering  about 
the  English  outposts  and  pickets,  popping  away  at  every 
man  who  showed  himself,  with  their  terrible  rifles, 
creeping  up  stealthily  in  squads  and  firing  right  into 
their  pickets.  There,  too,  the  daring  Hinds  and  his 
madcap  troopers,  dashing  up  to  their  outposts  and  form- 
ing with  all  the  regularity  of  parade  exercise,  would 
fire  volleys  into  the  lines,  and  then  gallop  back  again 
hurraing  and  shouting  in  savage  glee  and  derision. 

The  night,  instead  of  being  devoted  to  sleep  and  rest, 
was  made  hideous  to  the  British  by  these  incessant  an- 
noyances. The  Americans,  so  the  indignant  and  dis- 
quieted Britons  thought,  like  some  of  the  indigenous 
animals  of  the  country,  appeared  to  prefer  the  night  to 
the  day  for  their  prowling  and  warlike  operations.  The 


220  JACKSON   AND   NEW   ORLEANS. 

precedent  of  the  23d  had  been  followed  ever  since. 
Each  man  among  them  seemed  bent  on  some  deed  of 
individual  prowess,  of  which  he  might  discourse  to  his 
companions  in  his  mess,  and  around  the  camp  fires.  Nor 
was  it  merely  for  display,  or  to  alarm  their  enemies,  that 
they  engaged  in  these  nocturnal  enterprises.  They 
looked  to  such  practical  results,  as  the  cutting  off  a 
sentinel,  the  driving  in  an  outpost,  or  the  picking  off 
an  officer  going  the  rounds.  British  writers  have 
strongly  censured  this  mode  of  warfare,  as  unusual  be- 
tween two  civilized  nations.  One  of  them  remarks, 
"  While  two  European  armies  remain  inactively  facing 
each  other,  the  outposts  of  neither  are  molested,  unless 
a  direct  attack  on  the  main  body  be  intended  :  nay,  so 
far  is  this  tacit  good  understanding  carried,  that  I,  my- 
self, have  beheld  French  and  English  sentinels  not  more 
than  twenty  yards  apart.  But  the  Americans  entertain 
no  such  chivalric  notions.  An  enemy  was  to  them  an 
enemy,  whether  alone  or  in  the  midst  of  five  thousand 
companions,  and  they  therefore  counted  the  death  of 
every  individual  as  so  much  taken  from  the  strength  of 
the  whole.  In  point  of  fact,  they  no  doubt  reasoned 
correctly,  but  to  us  at  least  it  appeared  an  ingenious 
return  to  barbarity." 

This  view  of  the  subject  is  quite  natural  in  a  British 
officer,  who  no  doubt  suffered  from  this  "barbarian 
mode  of  warfare "  of  the  Americans.  But  if  he  had 
been  one  of  the  invaded,  instead  of  the  invaders ;  one 
of  an  army  of  three  thousand  militia  contending  against 
eight  thousand  veteran  soldiers,  who  had  come  four 
thousand  miles  to  destroy  the  towns,  lay  waste  the  coun- 
try, and  murder  a  peaceful  people,  he  would,  perhaps, 
have  taken  a  less  chivalric  view  of  his  duties  and  obli- 


SIR   EDWARD    PACKENHAM.  221 

gations.  Besides,  some  allowance  must  be  made  for  the 
exacerbated  state  of  the  feelings  of  the  Americans,  on 
account  of  the  loss  of  their  efficient  flanking  battery, 
the  Carolina.  Nor  should  this  writer  forget,  in  his 
sentimentality  on  the  chivalry  of  war,  the  annoyances 
to  which  the  Americans  were  subjected  during  the 
nights  of  the  26th  and  27th,  by  the  shell  practice  of  the 
British  howitzers  and  the  rockets  which  kept  the  Ameri- 
can camp  in  continual  alarm.  Whatever  may  be  the 
opinion  of  ethical  and  historical  writers,  on  the  abstract 
question  of  duty  and  chivalry  in  this  matter,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  as  to  the  fact,  that  the  British  soldiers  had 
but  little  rest  or  quiet  on  the  night  of  the  27th  of  Decem- 
ber. They  awaited  the  break  of  day  with  more  anxiety 
and  hope  than  they  had  hailed  its  decline. 


JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 


XI. 

A  DEMONSTBATTON  AND  A  DEFEAT. 

[DJSCKMBEB  28,  1814.] 

THE  American  commander  had  not  been  idle.  Estab- 
lished in  the  fine  old  chateau  of  Macarte,  which  then,  as 
now,  could  hardly  be  discerned  at  a  short  distance  off, 
through  the  thick  evergreen  trees  and  shrubbery  in  which 
it  is  embowered,  within  one  hundred  or  two  hundred 
yards  of  the  right  of  the  entrenchments,  Jackson  kept  an 
incessant  watch  over  every  movement  of  the  enemy, 
viewing  their  camp  through  a  large  telescope,  which  an 
ingenious  old  Frenchman  had  loaned  him  for  the  occa- 
sion, and  which  was  established  in  the  dormer  window 
of  the  chateau,  looking  down  the  river.  This  chateau 
still  stands,  but  little  changed  by  the  lapse  of  forty  years. 
It  has  been  the  study  and  pride  of  its  successive  pro- 
prietors and  occupants  to  preserve  the  premises,  as  much 
as  possible,  in  the  condition  in  which  Jackson  left  them, 
after  the  war  was  over.  Only  such  repairs  as  were 
absolutely  necessary  have  been  made.  Even  the  cannon 
marks  on  the  pavement,  walls,  and  pillars  may  now  be 
seen,  and  the  scarred  oaks,  cedars  and  pecan  trees,  which 
surround  it,  still  wear  the  signs  of  the  strife  that  drenched 
with  blood  the  fields  around,  that  now  smile  with  rural 
"beauty  and  teem  with  agricultural  wealth,  and  rendered 
the  headquarters  of  the  General-in-Chief  the  most  ex- 


A   DEMONSTRATION   AND   A   DEFEAT.  223 

posed  and  insecure  position  of  the  whole  camp.  Hun- 
dreds of  the  cannon  balls  have  been  dug  out  of  the 
garden,  which  were  rained  down  on  this  favorite  target 
of  the  British  artillery. 

From  this  elevated  position,  Jackson  perceived  on  the 
evening  of  the  27th,  the  formidable  preparations  to  over- 
whelm him  the  next  day.  lie  comprehended,  at  glance, 
the  plan  of  Packenham,  and  set  to  work  to  resist  and 
defeat  it.  That  was  a  busy  night  in  Jackson's  quarters. 
Officers  were  seen  galloping  in  every  direction  for  cannon 
and  artillerists  to  strengthen  the  lines.  When  the  Bri- 
tish commenced  their  advance,  Jackson  had  only  the 
two  six  pounders,  which  had  made  such  a  narrow  escape 
on  the  night  of  the  23d.  These  had  been  estalished  on 
the  levee.  On  the  night  of  the  27th,  a  twelve-pound 
howitzer  was  planted  so  as  to  command  the  road,  and 
shortly  after  a  twenty-four  pounder  on  the  left  of  the 
twelve. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th,  another  twenty-four 
pounder  was  established,  under  the  fire  of  the  British 
battery  on  the  levee.  These,  together  with  the  battery 
of  the  Louisiana,  presented  quite  a  formidable  display 
of  artillery.  The  infantry  also  were  strengthened.  The 
first  regiment  of  Louisiana  Militia  was  ordered  to  take 
position  on  the  right  of  the  lines,  and  the  second  regiment 
to  reinforce  the  extremity  of  the  left,  which  had  not  yet 
been  placed  in  a  safe  and  reliable  condition,  though  Cof- 
fee's Tennesseeans  were  kept  incessantly  at  work  upon 
it.  Other  precautions  had  not  been  neglected.  The 
levee  was  cut  below  the  lines,  in  order  to  fiood  the  road 
and  drown  the  British,  or  render  their  advance  difficult. 
But  fate  did  not  favor  this  inglorious  mode  of  destroying 
an  enemy,  who  was  destined  to  be  overcome  with  his 


224          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

own  weapons  and  by  mortal  valor.  The  river  fell  and 
the  road  remained  undamaged.  Meantime  Carroll  had 
marched  his  men,  who  were  ill  armed,  many  being 
supplied  with  fowling-pieces  and  discarded  guns,  to 
Canal  Rodriguez,  and  set  them  to  work  on  the  entrench- 
ments on  the  extreme  left. 

Jackson  had  now  a  force  of  over  four  thousand  men 
and  twenty  pieces  of  artillery.  How  he  ever  collected 
such  a  body  of  men  and  established  them  in  so  strong  a 
position  in  so  short  a  time,  is  far  more  astounding  than 
the  results  which  were  subsequently  achieved. 

Packenham  had  at  least  eight  thousand  men  of  all 
arms, — all  veteran  soldiers,  well  armed  and  equipped, 
and  supplied  with  all  the  engines  of  destruction  known 
to  the  science  of  modern  warfare. 

The  morning  of  the  28th  was  one  of  those  beautiful, 
bracing,  life  and  joy-giving  days  peculiar  to  Louisiana 
in  the  winter  season.  In  its  brightness,  clearness,  and 
temperate  mildness,  it  was  a  delicious  novelty  to  the 
British,  accustomed  to  fogs,  clouds,  inky  skies  and 
oppressive  vapors.  The  air  was  just  frosty  enough  to 
give  it  purity,  elasticity  and  freshness.  A  sparkling  mist 
veiled  the  beauty  of  the  waking  morn.  The  evergreens 
which  dotted  and  encircled  the  dusky  plain  with  emer- 
ald, glistened  with  the  diamond  drops  from  heaven. 

All  nature  seemed  to  be  animated  by  these  bright  in- 
fluences. The  trees  were  melodious  with  the  noisy 
strains  of  the  rice  bird,  and  the  bold  falsetto  of  that 
pride  of  Southern  ornithology,  the  mocking-bird,  who, 
here  alone  continues  the  whole  year  round  his  unceas- 
ing notes  of  exultant  mockery  and  vocal  defiance. 
What  a  reproach  did  such  a  scene  of  natural  beauty 
and  atmospheric  purity  convey  to  those  whose  passions 


A  DEMONSTRATION   AND   A  DEFEAT.  225 

were  soon  to  convert  it  from  a  Paradise  to  a  Pande- 
monium ! 

At  break  of  day,  or  as  soon  as  the  mist  had  melted 
into  the  purple  that  spread  over  the  horizon,  to  form,  as 
it  were,  a  carpet  on  which  the  king  of  day  might  strut 
forth  upon  the  world,  both  armies  stood  to  arms.  Pic- 
quets  were  called  in.  Drums  were  beat.  The  blasts  of 
bugles  rang  far  along  the  banks  of  the  old  Father  of 
Waters.  All  the  hum  and  buzz  of  some  great  move- 
ment were  observable  in  both  camps.  Jackson  occu- 
pied his  old  position,  watching  from  the  window  of  his 
headquarters  every  movement  of  his  enemy  with  the 
eye  of  a  lynx,  and  the  heart  of  a  lion.  His  counten- 
ance wore  that  same  expression  of  stern  determination 
and  dauntless  courage,  communicating  to  all  around  a 
fearless  and  undoubting  confidence.  Often  would  he 
cast  anxious  glances  up  the  road,  to  the  city,  as  if  in  ex- 
pectation of  some  new  reinforcement. 

He  was  not  permitted  to  remain  long  in  doubt  as  to 
the  intentions  of  the  British.  Their  army  was  soon  per- 
ceived to  be  in  motion.  It  advanced  in  two  steady 
columns.  Gibbs  with  the  4th,  the  21st,  44th,  and  one 
Black  corps,  hugging  the  wood  or  swamp  on  the  right, 
with  the  95th  Rifles,  extending  in  skirmishing  order 
across  the  plain  and  meeting  the  right  of  Keane's 
column,  which  consisted  of  the  85th,  the  95th,  and  one 
Black  corps.  The  artillery  preceded  the  latter,  in  the 
main  road.  Keane  held  his  column  as  near  the  levee  as 
possible,  and  under  the  protection  of  Bienvenu's  and 
Chalmette's  quarters.  Detached  from  Gibbs'  column 
was  a  party  of  skirmishers  and  light  infantry,  under  the 
command  of  that  active  and  energetic  officer,  Lieut. 
Colonel  Robert  Rennie,  whose  orders  were  to  turn  the 

10* 


226          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

American  left  and  gain  the  rear  of  their  camp.  In  this 
order,  the  British  moved  forward  in  excellent  spirits 
and  brilliant  array.  Packenham,  with  his  staff  and  a 
guard  composed  of  the  14th  Dragoons,  rode  nearly  in 
the  centre  of  the  line,  so  as  to  command  a  view  of  both 
columns.  The  American  scouts  retired  leisurely  be- 
fore the  British,  tiring  and  shouting  defiance  at  them. 
The  Louisiana  now  weighed  anchor,  and  floated  down 
the  stream,  and  then  anchored  again  in  a  position  which 
commanded  the  road  and  the  whole  field  in  front  of  the 
American  lines.  Jackson  had  ordered  McRea,  of  the 
artillery,  to  blow  up  Chalmette's  and  Bienvenu's 
houses.  By  some  accident  this  order  was  only  partially 
executed, — a  fortunate  circumstance,  as  these  buildings 
served  to  mask  the  American  lines  at  the  strongest  point, 
and  to  precipitate  Keane's  column  with  perilous  sud- 
denness upon  Jackson's  guns.  Chalmette's,  the  house 
nearest  to  Jackson's  lines,  was  blown  up  just  as  the 
British  passed  Bienvenu's.  This  had  been  ever  since 
the  23d  the  headquarters  of  Hinds'  troop,  whence  they 
were  in  the  habit  of  emerging  hourly  in  detachments 
to  harass  the  enemy  and  reconnoitre  his  position.  Now, 
for  the  first  time,  Keane  beheld  through  his  glass  the 
mouths  of  several  large  cannon  protruding  from  Jack- 
son's lines,  and  completely  covering  the  head  of  his 
column.  These  guns  were  manned  as  guns  are  not  often 
manned  on  land. 

Early  in  the  morning  Jackson's  anxious  glances  tow- 
ards the  city  had  been  changed  into  expressions  of  sat- 
isfaction and  confidence  by  the  spectacle  of  several 
straggling  bands  of  red-shirted,  bewhiskered,  rough 
and  desperate-looking  men,  all  begrimed  with  smoke 
and  mud — hurrying  down  the  road  towards  the  lines. 


A   DEMONSTRATION   AND   A   DEFEAT.  227 

These  proved  to  be  the  Baratarians  under  Dominique 
You  and  Bluche,  who  had  run  all  the  way  from  the 
FoVt  St.  John,  where  they  had  been  stationed  since  their 
release  from  prison.  They  immediately  took  charge  of 
one  of  the  twenty-four  pounders.  The  Baratarians 
were  followed  by  two  other  parties  of  sailors  of  the  crew 
of  the  Carolina,  under  Lieutenants  Crawley  and  Norris. 
These  detachments  were  ordered  to  man  the  howitzer 
on  the  right,  and  the  other  twenty-four  pounder,  which, 
being  on  the  left  of  Plauche's  battalion,  had  been  in 
charge  of  St.  Geme's  dismounted  dragoons. 

Thus  prepared,  Jackson  waited  the  approach  of  the 
British.  Forward  they  came,  in  solid  column,  as  com- 
pact and  orderly  as  if  on  parade,  under  cover  of  a 
shower  of  rockets,  and  a  continual  fire  from  their  artil- 
lery in  front  and  their  batteries  on  the  levee.  It  was 
certainly  a  bold  and  imposing  demonstration,  for  such, 
as  we  are  told  by  British  officers,  it  was  intended  to  be. 
To  new  soldiers,  like  the  Americans,  fresh  from  civic 
and  peaceful  pursuits,  who  had  never  witnessed  any 
scenes  of  real  warfare,  it  was  certainly  a  formidable 
display  of  military  power  and  discipline.  Those  veterans 
moved  as  steadily  and  closely  together  as  if  marching 
in  review  instead  of  "  in  the  cannon's  mouth."  Their 
muskets  catching  the  rays  of  the  morning  sun,  nearly 
blinded  the  beholder  with  their  brightness,  whilst  their 
gay  and  various  uniforms,  red,  grey,  green  and  tartan, 
afforded  a  pleasing  relief  to  the  winter-clad  field  and  the 
sombre  objects  around.  On,  on  came  the  glittering 
array,  scarcely  heeding  the  incessant  fire  which  that 
cool  veteran,  Humphrey,  poured  into  their  ranks  from 
the  moment  they  were  visible.  But,  as  they  approached 


228          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

nearer,  they  were  suddenly  brought  to  a  sense  of  their 
danger  and  audacity,  by  the  simultaneous  opening  of 
the  batteries  of  Morris  and  the  Baratarians,  and  by  a 
terrible  broadside  from  the  Louisiana,  which  swept  the 
field  obliquely  to  the  line  of  march  of  the  British  column. 
Never  was  there  a  more  effective  and  destructive  fire. 
For  several  hours  it  was  maintained  with  incessant  vigor 
and  pitiless  fury.  More  than  eight  hundred  shot  were 
fired  by  the  Louisiana  alone  with  most  deadly  effect. 
One  single  discharge  of  this  most  admirably  managed 
battery — for  it  hardly  deserved  the  name  of  ship — killed 
and  wounded  fifteen  men.  A  British  writer  has  done 
justice  to  this  scene. 

Says  the  author  of  the  Narrative  of  British  Campaigns 
in  America : — "  That  the  Americans  are  excellent  shots, 
as  well  with  artillery  as  with  rifles,  we  have  had  frequent 
cause  to  acknowledge ;  but  perhaps  on  no  occasion  did 
they  assert  their  claim  to  the  title  of  good  artillerymen 
more  effectively  than  on  this  occasion.  Scarcely  a  ball 
or  bullet  passed  over  or  fell  short  of  its  mark,  but  all 
striking  full  into  the  midst  of  our  ranks  occasioned  terri- 
ble havoc. 

"  The  shrieks  of  the  wounded,  therefore — the  crash  of 
firelocks,  and  the  fall  of  such  as  were  killed,  caused  at 
first  some  little  confusion,  and  what  added  to  the  panic 
was,  that  from  the  houses  beside  which  we  stood,  bright 
flames  suddenly  burst  forth.  The  Americans  expecting 
the  attack,  had  filled  them  with  combustibles  for  the 
purpose,  and  directing  one  or  two  guns  against  them, 
loaded  with  hot  shot,  in  an  instant  set  them  on  fire. 
The  scene  was  altogether  very  sublime.  A  tremendous 
cannonade  mowed  down  our  ranks  and  defeated  us  with 


A    DEMONSTRATION    AND   A   DEFEAT.  229 

its  roar,  while  two  large  chateaux  and  their  out-build- 
ings almost  scorched  us  with  the  flames  and  blinded 
us  with  the  smoke  which  they  emitted." 

Under  such  an  incessant  and  galling  fire,  there  was 
no  safety  for  the  British  except  in  retreat,  or  in  a  supine 
position,  as  it  is  called  in  military  phrase ;  but,  as  it 
would  be  styled  in  American  parlance,  "  taking  to  the 
ditch."  For  some  time  Keane's  solid  column  withstood 
with  great  firmness  this  terrific  iron  storm ;  but  it  was 
a  vain  display  of  valor.  Soon  the  battalions  were 
ordered  to  deploy  into  line,  and  seek  a  cover  in  the 
ditches.  Never  was  an  order  more  promptly  and  rapidly 
obeyed.  In  a  few  minutes  the  heavy  column  was  diluted 
into  a  thin  line,  and  the  men  scrambled  pell  mell  into 
every  convenient  ditch,  or  behind  every  elevated  knoll, 
which  presented  itself.  Gaining  the  ditches,  in  which 
they  sank  to  their  middle,  the  British  writer,  from  whom 
we  have  already  quoted,  says  "they  leaned  forward, 
concealing  themselves  in  the  rushes  which  grew  on  the 
banks  of  the  canal."  Truly,  an  ignoble  position  for  Pen- 
insular heroes. 

The  artillery  could  not  be  so  easily  removed  or  covered. 
The  guns  of  the  Americans  were  now  concentrated  on 
the  British  battery.  The  two  field-pieces,  which  had 
been  advanced  on  the  road  and  levee,  quite  near  to  the 
American  lines,  were  soon  dismantled,  many  of  the 
gunners  were  killed,  and  those  who  escaped  destruc- 
tion, finally  abandoned  their  useless  pieces,  leaving  them 
on  the  road  to  be  knocked  and  tossed  about,  the  sport  of 
Humphrey's  unerring  twelve-pounders. 

Thus,  disastrously  and  ignominiously,  was  Keane's 
column  broken  by  the  American  artillery.  The  melan- 
choly and  pensive  countenance  of  Packenham  grew 


230          JACKSON  AND  NEW  OKLEANS.j 

dark  and  gloomy  indeed,  as  he  perceived  his  brilliant 
battalions  melt  into  the  earth  as  suddenly  and  magically 
as  the  clansmen  of  Rhoderic  Dhu,  in  the  beautifully 
painted  scene  of  that  noblest  poem  of  the  great  Wizard 
of  the  North : 

Down  sunk  the  disappearing  band, 
Each  warrior  vanished  where  he  stood  ; 
In  broom  or  bracken,  heath  or  wood, 
Sunk  brand  and  spear  and  bended  bow ; 
It  seemed  as  if  the  mother  earth 
Had  swallowed  up  her  warlike  birth. 
The  wind's  last  breath  had  tossed  in  air 
Tenon  and  plaid  and  plumage  fair — 
The  next  but  swept  a  lone  hill-side, 
Where  heath  and  fern  were  waving  wide  ; 
The  sun's  last  glance  had  glistened  back, 
From  spear  and  glaive,  from  targe  and  jack — 
The  next,  all  unreflected  shone, 
On  bracken  green  and  cold  grey  stone. 

Never  before  had  the  British  soldier,  in  his  presence, 
quailed  before  an  enemy,  or  sought  cover  from  a  fire. 

Here  was  another  ground  of  complaint  for  the  marti- 
nette,  of  the  ignorance  and  unscientific  warfare  of  the 
Americans.  They  had  mistaken  a  mere  feint  or  demon- 
stration, for  a  real  attack — a  showy  display,  for  a  practi- 
cal design. 

So,  unlucky  Keane,  after  sheltering  himself  behind 
the  surrounding  ruins  of  Bienvenu's,  again  uttered 
curses,  both  loud  and  deep,  upon  the  cruel  fate  which 
had  cast  his  lot,  hitherto  so  brilliant,  upon  so  dreary  a 
field  of  military  enterprise — a  field  fertile  in  everything 
but  British  laurels. 

How  fared  it  with  Gibbs  on  the  right  ?  Here  the 
prospect  opened  brighter,  as  the  head  of  the  column 


A   DEMONSTRATION   AND   A  DEFEAT.  231 

approached  the  American  lines.  In  the  view  of  Gibbs, 
who  had  led  the  storming  party  against  Fort  Cornelius, 
defended  by  over  one  hundred  guns,  and  of  his  men, 
who  had  scaled  the  parapets  of  Badajoz,  the  walls  of  St. 
Sebastian,  and  a  hundred  other  places  of  equal  strength, 
nothing  could  be  more  contemptible  than  "the  mere 
rudiments  of  an  entrenched  camp,"  as  they  were  styled 
by  a  British  writer.  The  whole  work  consisted  of  a  low 
mound  of  earth,  with  a  narrow  ditch  in  front,  not  too 
wide  to  be  leaped  by  a  man  of  ordinary  agility.  So  it 
remained  through  the  whole  campaign. 

As  this  mound  came  in  view,  Gibbs  halted  his  main 
column,  whilst  the  skirmishers  were  thrown  forward, 
and  the  detached  party  under  Rennie  dashed  into  the 
woods,  closely  pursuing  the  American  outposts,  and 
advancing  to  a  position  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
lines,  behind  which  Carroll  was  posted  with  his  Tennes- 
seeans.  That  prompt  and  ready  officer  immediately 
ordered  Col.  Henderson,  with  two  hundred  Tennes- 
seeans,  to  steal  through  the  swamp,  gain  the  rear  of 
Remrie's  party  and  then  oblique  to  the  right  so  as  to  cut 
them  off  from  the  main  body.  It  was  a  rash  adventure, 
such  as  General  Jackson  would  not  have  sanctioned  had 
he  been  present  in  that  part  of  the  line.  But  the  Ten- 
nesseeans  were  impatient  to  take  part  in  the  fight,  and 
could  with  difficulty  be  kept  within  the  lines.  Hender- 
son's movement  might  have  succeeded,  if  he  had  not 
advanced  too  far  to  the  right,  and  thus  brought  his  men 
under  the  heavy  fire  of  a  strong  body  of  the  British  who 
were  posted  behind  a  fence  nearly  concealed  by  the 
trees  and  weeds.  The  Colonel,  a  gallant  and  promising 
officer,  and  five  men  were  killed  by  this  fire,  several 
were  wounded,  and  the  others  seeing  the  object  of  the 


232          JACKSON  AND  NEW  OELEANS. 

movement  defeated  retired  behind  the  lines.  This  was 
the  only  success  achieved  by  the  British  that  day. 
Rennie,  emboldened  by  this  result,  was  rapidly  closing 
on  Carroll's  left,  which  having  no  cannon  and  being 
defended  by  raw  militiamen,  was  pretty  severely  pressed, 
when  an  officer  came  up  to  him  with  an  order  from 
Gibbs  to  fall  back  on  the  main  column.  Greatly  cha- 
grined at  this  order,  Rennie  abandoned  the  ground  he 
had  gained,  and  retired  to  the  point  from  which  he  had 
advanced.  Here  his  men  were  posted  under  the  trees, 
idle  spectators  of  the  havoc  which  the  American  artil- 
lery was  making  in  Keane's  column  on  the  left.  And 
so  they  remained  until  the  general  retrogade  movement 
was  commenced. 

On  that  day  the  Americans  lost  nine  killed  and  eight 
wounded.  That  gallant  officer  Major  Carmick,  of  the 
Marine  corps,  was  among  the  wounded.  "Whilst  deli- 
vering an  order  to  Major  Plauche,  near  the  centre  of 
the  American  line,  he  was  struck  by  a  rocket,  which 
tore  his  horse  to  pieces  and  wounded  the  Major  in  the 
arm  and  head.  Of  the  British  loss  there  are  no  precise 
or  reliable  accounts.  We  conjecture  from  general 
statements  that  it  reached  nearly  two  hundred  killed 
and  wounded.  The  official  returns,  which  do  not  include 
those  who  were  killed  in  the  attempt  to  retire,  admit 
only  sixteen  killed  and  forty-three  wounded  and  missing. 
As  the  only  weapon  used  by  the  Americans  was  their 
artillery,  few  of  the  wounded  ever  recovered.  Among 
the  killed  were  two  officers,  whose  mode  of  death  was 
remarkable,  and  illustrative  of  the  precision  of  the 
American  artillery.  One  of  them  was  Captain  Collings, 
of  the  British  "West  India  regiment,  who  was  on  duty  in 
the  93d.  When  the  men  were  ordered  to  hide  them 


A  DEMONSTRATION  AND    &.  DEFEAT.  233 

selves  in  the  ditch,  and  lie  down  on  the  earth,  this 
yonng  officer,  in  a  spirit  of  reckless  bravado  chose  to 
maintain  his  erect  position.  Major  Creagh,  of  the  93d, 
called  loudly  to  him  to  lie  down  or  he  would  draw  the 
fire  of  the  batteries  upon  them.  Either  not  hearing,  or 
not  heeding  the  order,  Collings  walked  along  the  edge 
of  the  ditch  for  a  few  steps,  when  a  cannon  ball  struck 
his  head  and  knocked  it  off  his  shoulders.  The  other 
officer  killed  on  this  occasion  was  Ensign  Sir  Frederick 
Eden,  an  English  baronet,  attached  to  the  85th.  A 
flanking  shot  from  the  Louisiana  struck  the  section  com- 
manded by  this  officer  and  killed  five  of  the  men  and 
wounded  several  others.  Eden  himself  was  struck,  and 
horribly  mutilated.  He  lived  long  enough  to  make  his 
will,  and  then  died  in  a  raving  delirium  of  agony. 

The  Louisiana,  from  whose  batteries  the  British  sus- 
tained their  heaviest  damage,  though  exposed  to  a  con- 
stant fire  from  the  British  guns  on  the  levee,  had  but 
one  man  killed. 

Such  was  the  ignominious  conclusion  of  the  imposing 
demonstration  or  feint  of  the  British  on  the  28th  Decem- 
ber, 1814.  Had  there  been  a  quick  eye,  sagacious  intel- 
lect, and  a  full  comprehension  of  their  position  and 
circumstances,  to  direct  the  movement  of  the  army,  the 
result  might  been  very  different.  But  in  this,  as  in  many 
other  regular  armies,  the  men  of  sagacity,  enterprise, 
and  the  requisite  qualities  to  secure  the  success  of  such 
operations,  were  mere  subordinates,  under  chiefs,  who 
on  this  occasion  manifested  a  singular  destitution  of 
military  capacity.  Poor  Packenham's  energies  were 
all  the  while  cramped  and  oppressed  by  the  conscious- 
ness, which  filled  his  mind  fron\  the  first  moment  he 
landed  and  perceived  the  situation  of  the  army,  that  it 


234:          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

was  involved  in  an  inextricable  strait.  This  fact  will 
fully  explain  the  apparent  want  of  promptitude  displayed 
in  this  emergency.  Besides,  he  expected  hourly  the 
arrival  of  Lambert's  fine  brigade,  which  had  embarked 
at  Portsmouth  at  the  same  time  with  the  fast  clipper  in 
which  he  had  sailed.  These  fresh  troops  would  be  a 
great  accession  to  his  jaded  and  overworked  force. 

The  partial  success  of  Rennie  on  the  British  right 
shows  how  egregiously  they  had  exaggerated  the  strength 
of  the  American  lines.  Rennie  demonstrated  the  prac- 
ticability of  turning  the  American  left  and  gaining  their 
rear  in  that  insecure  and  weakly-defended  part  of  the 
line.  By  "  weakly  defended,"  we  do  not  mean  that  the 
men  stationed  in  this  part  of  the  works  were  not  as 
brave  and  true  soldiers  as  ever  handled  a  gun,  but  that 
they  were  not  in  adequate  force,  were  without  artillery, 
the  cannon  being  on  the  right,  and  could  not  be  held 
together  with  sufficient  compactness  to  resist  the  dash 
of  a  strong  body  of  regular  soldiers  accustomed  to  scal- 
ing entrenchments,  like  the  British.  That  the  works 
offered  no  other  obstacle  but  the  strong  arms  and  daunt- 
less valor  of  the  men  who  defended  them,  is  sufficiently 
shown  by  the  fact,  that  the  British  officers  actually  burst 
into  loud  laughter  when  they  perceived  the  frail  mound 
which  "  the  ignorant  Americans"  chose  to  designate  a 
parapet,  and  to  which,  many  narrators  of  these  events 
have  so  far  burlesqued  military  art,  as  to  attach  a  glacis. 

They  also  made  another  discovery,  which  ingenious 
and  quick-witted  people  would  have  turned  to  better 
use.  They  found  the  horrible  swamp,  of  which  they 
stood  in  such  dread,  that  their  outposts  would  not 
approach  within  a  hundred  yards  of  its  edge,  and  of 
which  such  marvellous  stories  are  related,  of  men  who 


A   DEMONSTRATION   AND  A   DEFEAT.  235 

eunk  into  it  and  disappeared  for  ever  from  sight,  quite 
practicable  and  passable  for  light  troops.  "Why  did  they 
not  avail  themselves  of  this  discovery  ?  Why  did  Gibbs 
follow  so  closely  the  folly  of  Keane  on  a  previous,  and 
a  still  more  notable,  subsequent  occasion,  and  let  slip 
the  opportunity  of  hurling  his  powerful  column  into  the 
midst  of  Jackson's  raw  and  poorly  disciplined  militia- 
men ?  The  answer  to  this  and  many  similar  questions, 
is  to  be  found  in  the  impressive  lesson  which  Jackson 
had  taught  them  on  the  bloody  night  of  the  twenty- 
third. 

Besides,  the  British  had  learned  by  this  destructive 
reconnoissance,  to  appreciate  the  mettle  and  skill  of  the 
artillerists,  who  had  so  unexpectedly  opened  upon  them 
from  lines,  behind  which  they  expected  to  encounter 
only  rifles  and  muskets.  Jackson  seemed  to  possess  the 
power  of  Cadmus,  to  raise  men  and  arms  from  the  earth. 
Those  two  huge  twenty-fours,  which  belched  forth  such 
torrents  of  iron  hail,  and  that  ceaseless  twelve-pounder, 
appeared  to  have  fallen  from  the  skies  into  the  rude 
embrasures  from  which  they  now  peered  so  mysteriously 
and  threateningly.  Whence,  too,  came  the  skillful  and 
adroit  artillerists  who  manned  them  with  such  art  and 
deadly  power  ?  These  were  themes  for  anxious  delibera- 
tion and  discussion  among  the  British  chiefs.  The  result 
was  a  conviction  that  their  army  was  too  weak  in  artil- 
lery. Steps  must  be  taken  to  equalize  the  conditions  of 
the  two  armies  in  this  respect. 

Though  the  demonstration  of  the  twenty-eighth  had 
thus  failed,  and  the  splendid  battalions  of  the  British 
had  been  broken  into  fragments,  and  driven  to  hide  their 
shame  and  their  persons  in  the  ditches  on  Bienvenu's, 
they  were  not  yet  removed  beyond  danger.  All  day 


236  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

the  American  batteries  swept  the  plain  with  their  grapo 
and  round  shot.  "Wherever  a  living  object  became 
visible,  iron  showers  would  fall  with  awful  effect.  How 
to  draw  off  the  army  under  such  a  fire  greatly  perplexed 
the  British  generals.  It  was  at  last  done  in  a  most 
ignoble,  and,  to  veteran  soldiers,  most  mortifying  man- 
ner. The  various  regiments  were  ordered  to  break  off 
in  small  squads  by  file  to  the  rear,  and  retire  as  rapidly 
as  they  could  beyond  the  reach  of  the  American  guns. 
This  order  was  obeyed  with  alacrity,  especially  that  part 
of  it  which  required  them  to  move  by  quick-step.  As 
the  squads  stole  off  in  this  inglorious  manner,  they  were 
plied  more  briskly  with  grape,  shot  and  shells,  and 
saluted  with  jeering,  cries,  and  huzzas  from  the  Ameri- 
can lines.  Nor  was  this  retrograde  movement  effected 
without  heavy  loss.  At  least  sixty  men,  we  are  assured 
by  the  author  of  the  Narrative,  which  we  have  quoted, 
were  killed  or  wounded  in  the  retreat.  Many  of  the 
men  were  struck  in  the  back  with  cannon  balls,  and 
knocked  to  pieces  as  they  hurried  to  the  rear.  Many 
received  wounds,  a  tergo,  which  were  deemed  by  the 
ancient  Eomans  more  calamitous  than  death.  Finally, 
however,  the  whole  army  staggered  beyond  the  range 
of  the  American  batteries,  and  the  men,  exhausted  by 
their  several  labors,  threw  themselves  on  the  ground  to 
rest. 

To  remove  the  dismounted  guns  was  the  next  difficulty. 
This  duty  was  assigned  to  Sir  Thos.  Troubridge,  of  the 
navy,  who,  with  a  party  of  seamen,  dashed  forward  to 
the  spot  where  the  guns  lay  dismounted  in  the  road. 
Making  fast  ropes  to  them,  the  sailors  succeeded,  by 
incredible  exertions,  in  drawing  the  guns  off  and  bring- 
ing them  to  the  rear. 

° 


A   DEMONSTRATION   AND   A   DEFEAT.  237 

The  day  was  far  advanced  before  these  difficult  tasks 
were  all  accomplished,  and  the  army  drawn  up  in  a  safe 
position.  It  was  now  posted  on  the  lower  line  of  Bien- 
venu's,  with  outposts  extending  to  the  front  within  a 
few  hundred  yards  of  the  American  lines.  Packenham 
resumed  his  headquarters  at  Villere"'s.  The  hospitals, 
which  were  hourly  receiving  accessions,  and  were  now 
quite  full,  were  established  at  Jumonville's,  below 
Villere's. 

In  this  position  the  army  continued  for  several  days 
suffering  greatly  from  exhaustion,  exposure,  and  the 
scarcity  and  bad  quality  of  food  supplied  them  from 
their  commissariat.  The  War  Department  in  London 
had  never  contemplated  the  possibility  of  such  an  army 
being  detained  eight  days,  within  six  miles  of  a  city, 
which  was  so  well  provisioned.  These  causes  produced 
violent  dysentery  among  both  officers  and  men.  Having 
no  tents,  the  men  were  driven  to  shelter  themselves  in 
damp  huts  made  of  cane  and  reeds.  During  the  few 
days  after  the  arrival  of  the  British,  the  soldiers  had 
subsisted  tolerably  well  on  the  cattle  of  the  neighboring 
plantations,  which  scouting  parties  were  able  to  capture, 
by  scattering  themselves  over  the  country.  But  these 
resources  were  soon  exhausted;  as  the  planters  only 
raised  such  stock  as  they  needed  for  their  families,  the 
quantity  to  be  found  was  necessarily  limited.  The 
British  were  then  reduced  to  the  worst  kind  of  army 
provisions,  the  maggoty  pork  and  weevily  biscuit.  All 
the  horses  found  on  the  plantations  were  appropriated 
by  the  field  officers  and  their  staffs,  and  by  the  artillery 
for  the  draught  of  their  guns.  A  few  of  the  14th 
Dragoons,  but  poorly  mounted,  were  assigned  to  guard 
and  vidette  duty. 


r     **  '*  '     '  jt  ^ 

238  JACKSON    AND    NEW    OELEAN8. 

Thus  closed  the  first  operation  of  Sir  Edward  Packen- 
ham  in  America.  He  was  further  than  ever  from  his 
Earldom,  and  his  several  millions  of  "  the  spoils."  His 
experience  of  the  "  ignorant  Indian  fighter  "  had  been 
even  more  severe  and  disastrous  than  that  of  his  Briga- 
dier and  countryman  (Keane).  The  high  spirits  excited 
iii  the  army  by  his  arrival  had  descended  to  zero.  A 
change  of  leaders  had  brought  no  relief  to  those  devoted 
battalions.  Defeat  and  disaster,  difficulties  and  dangers, 
innumerable,  unforeseen,  and  insurmountable,  enveloped 
them  at  every  step.  A  fatal  web  had  been  thrown 
around  that  army,  with  the  skill  and  boldness  of  a 
master  mind.  Like  the  mysterious  net  weaved  by  the 
art  of  Yulcan,  the  links,  though  invisible,  were  not  the 
less  potent,  tangible  and  irresistible. 


THE   BRITISH   BEING   UP   THEIR   BIG   GUNS.  239 


xn. 

THE   BRITISH   BRING   UP   THEIR   BIG   GUNS. 

BITTER  were  the  feelings  of  Packenham,  as,  accom- 
panied by  Sir  John  Tylden,  Adjutant-General,  and 
Captain  Wylley,  Military  Secretary  of  the  General-in- 
Chief,  and  other  staff  officers,  he  rode  slowly  back  to 
his  headquarters  at  Yillere's.  The  feint  by  which  he 
expected  to  scare  the  Americans  from  their  lines  had 
been  quite  as  great  a  failure  as  the  attempt  to  frighten 
them  with  Congreve  rockets,  which  the  British  had  con- 
tinued to  throw  into  the  American  camp  from  the  first 
moment  the  two  armies  came  in  sight  of  one  another. 

Another  council  of  war  was  convoked.  The  chiefs 
quickly  repaired  to  headquarters,  and  were  soon  engaged 
in  earnest  deliberation  on  the  next  expedient  to  relieve 
the  army  from  its  embarrassments.  Packenham's 
depression  was  still  quite  manifest,  but  the  obstinate 
and  stout-hearted  Scotchman,  Cochrane,  "  knew  no  such 
word  as  fail."  He  was  emphatically  the  soul  of  the 
enterprise,  as  fertile  in  resources  as  he  was  indomitable 
in  energy.  He  showed  that  their  failures  thus  far  were 
due  to  the  superiority  of  the  American  artillery.  They 
must  supply  this  deficiency  by  bringing  more  large  guns 
from  the  fleet. 

Certainly,  out  of  the  hundred  large  guns  then  lying 
idle  on  the  decks  of  their  three-deckers  and  frigates, 


24:0          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

they  could  select  a  battery  strong  enough  to  cope  with 
the  few  old  guns  of  the  Americans.  But  then,  it  was 
suggested,  the  Americans  are  entrenched.  "So  must 
we  be,"  was  the  reply  of  the  prompt  old  sailor.  It  was 
therefore  determined  to  treat  the  American  lines  as 
regular  fortifications,  by  erecting  breaching  batteries 
against  them,  and  proceeding  to  silence  their  guns.  The 
reminder  of  the  effectiveness  of  the  American  batteries 
was  received  with  scornful  sneers.  What !  were  the  con- 
querors of  Napoleon,  the  practiced  veterans  of  a  hundred 
victories,  the  sailors  and  marines  who,  under  Nelson  and 
Collingwood,  had  annihilated  the  navy  of  France,  the 
heroes  of  the  Nile,  of  Copenhagen  and  of  Trafalgar,  to 
yield  in  gunnery  to  the  motley  crews  of  American 
coasters — to  the  privateers  and  pirates  of  the  Gulf,  and 
the  inexperienced  artillerists  of  a  young  army  of  raw 
and  hastily-collected  levies?  Perish  the  base  thought! 
The  slight  successes  gained  by  the  Americans  were  due 
to  the  superior  metal  of  their  guns.  With  guns  of  equal 
calibre,  managed  by  their  experienced  scientific  artiller- 
ists, and  batteries  constructed  according  to  the  rules  of 
engineering,  these  advantages  of  their  enemies  would  soon 
disappear.  Thus  argued  the  advocates  of  the  new  plan 
of  breaching  the  American  lines  with  heavy  batteries. 
There  were  no  better  artillery  officers  in  the  British 
army  than  Colonel  John  Dixon  and  Major  Munro,  who 
had  achieved  great  renown  in  the  Peninsular  war — nor 
than  Colonel  Burgoyne,  son  of  the  General  whose  name 
figures  so  disastrously  in  our  revolutionary  annals,  and 
Major  Blanchard,  of  the  Engineers.  These  officers  gave 
their  decided  opinion  in  favor  of  the  practicability  of 
silencing  the  American  batteries  and  destroying  their 
parapet  by  establishing  opposing  batteries  of  large  guns 


THE   BRITISH    BEING   UP   THEIR   BIG   GUNS.  241 

brought  up  from  the  fleet.  Colonel  Dixon  only  required 
three  hours  to  effect  this  result.  This  plan  was  adopted. 
The  sailors  and  many  of  the  soldiers  were  set. to  work  to 
bring  up  the  heavy  guns  from  the  fleet,  a  task  of  im- 
mense labor  and  difficulty.  Three  days  were  thus  con- 
sumed by  the  British. 

Jackson,  in  the  meantime,  continued  with  unwearied 
activity  to  strengthen  his  lines  and  augment  his  artillery. 
The  weakness  of  his  left,  made  apparent  on  the  28th, 
was,  in  a  measure,  repaired  by  removing  the  two  twelve- 
pounders  of  Lieutenant  Spotts  as  near  as  practicable  to 
the  woods,  and  establishing  one  twelve-pounder  between 
that  point  and  the  centre  of  his  line.  This  piece  was 
confided  to  General  Garrique,  a  veteran  French  soldier, 
who  volunteered  for  the  occasion.  A  six-pounder,  and 
afterwards  an  eighteen,  were,  under  Colonel  Perry,  also 
planted  in  the  same  section. 

On  the  29th,  Patterson  having  discovered  the  destruc- 
tive effects  of  a  flanking  fire  from  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  laid  the  foundation  of  his  celebrated  marine  bat- 
tery, by  removing  two  twelve  and  one  twenty-four 
pounder  from  the  decks  of  the  Louisiana  and  placing 
them  in  the  battery  on  Jourdan's  plantation,  behind  the 
levee  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  so  as  to  command 
the  front  of  the  American  works.  To  serve  this  battery, 
a  part  of  the  crew  of  the  Louisiana  were  detached  and 
others  were  pressed  in  the  streets  of  New  Orleans,  by 
Lieutenant  Thompson,  who  for  that  purpose  entered 
every  sailor  boarding-house  in  the  city,  and  arrested 
every  nautical  looking  character  he  could  find.  By 
these  means  he  soon  succeeded  in  collecting  as  various 
and  mixed  a  corps  of  men  as  ever  fought  under  the 
same  flag.  It  embraced  natives  of  all  countries  except 

11 


242          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

England,  who  spoke  all  languages  except  that  of  their 
commander.  A  perfect  Babel  indeed,  was  that  famous 
marine  battery  of  Patterson.  It  is  an  amazing  proof  of 
the  power  of  discipline  and  of  the  energy  and  capacity 
of  the  Commodore  and  his  able  subordinate,  Lieutenant 
Thompson,  that  with  such  discordant  material  they  were 
able  to  render  their  battery  one  of  the  most  efficient  in 
the  annals  of  modern  warfare. 

Early  on  the  30th  their  power  had  been  strikingly 
displayed.  The  British  had  established  several  batteries 
between  the  river  bank  and  the  levee,  for  the  purpose 
of  combating  and  destroying  the  American  armed 
vessels,  which  could  not  be  reached  by  Jackson's  guns 
in  the  lines.  The  marine  battery  was  soon  opened  upon 
them,  and  in  a  few  hours  all  the  British  gunners  were 
driven  from  the  river  bank,  behind  the  levee,  and  the 
men  who  were  sheltered  in  the  houses  about  Chalmette's 
and  Bienvenu's  were  compelled  to  take  refuge  in  the 
ditches.  So  constant  and  vigilant  were  Patterson's 
gunners  that  the  British  found  it  impossible  to  make 
any  reconnoissance  near  the  river. 

Thus  secured  on  his  right  flank,  Jackson  next  turned 
his  attention  to  the  prolongation  of  his  lines  into  the 
swamp,  so  as  to  prevent  the  British  from  gaining  his 
rear  and  turning  his  left  flank.  Carroll's  and  Coffee's 
men  were  kept  incessantly  engaged  in  deepening  the 
ditches  on  their  part  of  the  line  and  throwing  up  the 
dirt  into  a  rude  mound.  The  anxiety  of  Jackson  about 
the  weakness  of  this  part  of  his  lines  was,  however, 
quite  unnecessary,  for  the  British  always  kept  as  far  as 
possible  from  the  swamp.  This  caution  was  due  to  the 
terror  of  the  Tennessee  bush-fighters  and  dirty  "shirts," 
as  they  were  called  by  the  neat  and  well  dressed  British 


THE   BRITISH   BEING   UP   THEIR   BIG   GUNS.  243 

soldiers.  These  wily  frontiersmen,  habituated  to  the 
Indian  mode  of  warfare,  never  missed  a  chance  of  pick- 
ing off  a  straggler  or  sentinel.  Clad  in  their  dusky 
brown  homespun,  they  would  glide  unperceived  through 
the  woods,  and  taking  a  cool  view  of  the  enemy's  lines, 
would  cover  the  first  Briton  who  came  within  range  of 
their  long  small-bored  rifles.  Nor  did  they  waste  their 
ammunition.  Whenever  they  drew  a  bead  on  any 
object,  it  was  certain  to  fall.  The  cool  indifference  with 
which  they  would  perform  the  most  daring  acts  of  this 
nature  was  amazing. 

One  of  these  bush-fighters,  having  obtained  leave  to 
go  on  a  hunting-party,  one  night,  stole  along  towards 
the  British  camp,  over  ditches  and  through  underwood, 
until  he  got  near  a  British  sentinel,  whom  he  imme- 
diately killed,  and  seizing  his  arms  and  accoutrements, 
laid  them  at  some  distance  from  the  place  where  the 
sentinel  had  stood,  and  then  concealing  himself,  waited 
quietly  for  more  game.  When  it  was  time  to  relieve 
the  sentinel,  the  corporal  of  the  guard  finding  him  dead, 
posted  another  in  his  place,  which  he  had  hardly  left, 
before  another  victim  fell  before  the  unerring  rifle  of  the 
Tennesseean.  Having  conveyed  his  arms  and  accoutre- 
ments to  the  place  at  which  he  left  those  of  the  first 
victim,  the  remorseless  hunter  took  a  new  position,  and  a 
third  sentinel,  posted  in  the  same  place,  shared  the  fate 
of  the  two  others.  At  last  the  corporal  of  the  guard, 
amazed  to  see  three  sentinels  killed,  in  one  night,  at  the 
same  post,  determined  to  expose  no  more  men  in  so  dan- 
gerous a  spot.  The  Tennesseean,  seeing  this,  returned 
to  camp  with  the  spoils  of  the  slain,  and  received  the 
congratulations  of  his  comrades  on  the  success  of  his 
night's  hunt.  Many  instances  of  a  similar  character, 


244          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

illustrative  of  the  daring,  the  skill,  and  love  of  adven- 
ture of  these  hardy  riflemen,  are  related  by  the  survi- 
vors of  that  epoch.  Indeed  the  whole  army,  after  the 
events  of  the  23d,  25th,  and  28th,  seemed  to  be  anima- 
ted by  a  spirit  of  personal  daring  and  gallant  enterprise. 
The  plain  between  the  two  hostile  camps  was  alive 
day  and  night  with  small  parties  of  foot  and  horse, 
wandering  to  and  fro  in  pursuit  of  adventure,  on  the 
trail  of  reconnoiterers,  stragglers  an,d  outpost  sentinels. 
The  natural  restlessness  and  nomadic  tendency  of  the 
Americans  were  here  conspicuously  displayed.  After 
a  while,  there  grew  up  a  regular  science  in  the  conduct 
of  these  modes  of  vexing,  annoying,  and  weakening  the 
enemy.  Their  system,  it  is  true,  is  not  to  be  found  in 
Vauban's,  Steuben's  or  Scott's  military  tactics,  but  it, 
nevertheless,  proved  to  be  quite  effective.  It  was  as 
follows :  A  small  number  of  each  corps,  being  permitted 
to  leave  the  lines,  would  start  from  their  position  and 
all  converge  to  a  central  point  in  front  of  the  lines. 
Here  they  would,  when  all  collected,  make  quite  a  for- 
midable body  of  men,  and,  electing  their  own  com- 
mander, would  proceed  to  attack  the  nearest  British  out- 
post, or  advance  in  extended  lines,  so  as  to  create  alarm 
in  the  enemy's  camp,  and  subject  them  to  the  vexation 
of  being  beaten  to  arms,  in  the  midst  of  which,  the 
scouting  party  would  be  unusually  unlucky,  if  it  did 
not  succeed  in  "bagging"  one  or  two  of  the  enemy's 
advanced  sentinels.  Prominent  among  the  bands  which 
kept  the  British  in  perpetual  alarm,  was  the  command 
of  the  indefatigable  Major  Hinds,  whose  troopers  from 
Mississippi  and  Louisiana  were  ever  hovering  about  the 
English  outposts,  charging  to  the  very  mouths  of  their 
cannon,  and  driving  in  their  pickets.  Unfortunately 


THE  BRITISH  BEING   UP   THEIR   BIG  GUNS.  245 

for  the  British,  so  at  least  they  thought,  they  were  una- 
ble to  mount  their  dragoons  for  field  or  fighting  service; 
and  Hinds,  having  none  of  his  own  arm  to  try  his 
mettle  on,  was  compelled  to  satisfy  his  impatient  valor, 
in  unequal  and  ineffectual,  but  very  dangerous,  and  to 
the  British  very  vexatious,  charges  on  their  redoubts 
and  outposts.  Hinds  was  of  great  use  to  Jackson  in 
executing  reconnoissances,  which  he  always  did  with 
brilliant  daring  and  success.  As  soon  as  the  British 
would  throw  up  a  redoubt,  or  commence  planting  a 
battery  in  any  new  position,  Jackson  had  only  to  say, 
"Major  Hinds,  report  to  me  the  number  and  calibre  of 
the  guns  they  are  establishing  there."  Immediately 
the  stalwart  trooper  would  form  his  dragoons,  and 
advancing  in  an  easy  trot,  until  he  had  arrived  within  a 
few  hundred  yards  of  the  object  of  the  reconnoissance, 
would  order  a  charge,  and  leading  himself,  would  dash 
at  full  speed  at  the  enemy's  position,  as  near  as  was 
necessary  to  ascertain  their  strength  and  situation,  and 
then  wheeling  under  their  fire  and  a  shower  of  rockets, 
would  gallop  back  to  headquarters  and  report  to  Jack- 
son all  the  information  he  possessed.  One  of  Hinds' 
companies  was  composed  of  Felicianians,  young  Ameri- 
cans, who  had  settled  in  that  beautiful  portion  of  Louis- 
iana lying  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi  north  of 
the  Bayou  Manchack.  This  was  the  same  company 
which  had  aided  so  materially  in  the  capture  of  Baton 
Rouge  in  1810,  when  a  few  Americans  organizing  at 
Bayou  Sara  declared  their  independence  of  Spanish 
dominion,  and  marching  down  to  Baton  Rouge,  rushed 
into  the  fort,  over  the  big  guns  of  the  Spaniards,  tore 
down  the  flag  of  Spain,  and  supplanted  it  with  that  of 
the  "Lone  Star,"  which  subsequently  gave  place  to  the 


246          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

**  Stars  and  Stripes."  It  was  on  that  occasion  the  Feli- 
ciana  dragoons  learned  the  art  and  acquired  the  habit 
of  charging  batteries.  The  capture  by  a  troop  of  horse, 
of  a  strong  fortification,  well  defended  by  cannon 
of  the  largest  calibre,  and  strongly  manned,  was  an 
achievement,  which  is  only  paralleled  in  the  annals  of 
warfare,  by  the  celebrated  charge  of  Paez  with  his  dra- 
goons against  a  hostile  fleet  in  the  Venezuelan  war. 
There  was  also  Captain  Ogden's  company,  composed  of 
young  men  of  education  and  high  position  in  society, 
which  constituted  the  guard  of  the  commander-in-chief, 
obeying  his  orders  alone.  It  was  posted  in  Macarte's 
garden.  There  were  also  the  companies  of  Captain 
Chauveau  and  Dubuclay,  the  latter  being  chiefly  Aca- 
diens  from  Attakapas. 

In  such  incessant  scouting  parties  and  volunteer  opera- 
tions as  we  have  described,  a  majority  of  Jackson's  com- 
mand were  engaged  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
night.  So  daring  were  these  attacks,  that  on  more  than 
one  occasion,  the  six-pounders  were  advanced  from  the 
lines  and  drawn  within  cannon  shot  of  the  outposts, 
when  they  would  be  discharged  at  the  sentinels  or  any 
living  object,  generally  with  some  effect,  and  always 
with  great  terror  to  the  whole  British  camp,  causing  a 
general  apprehension  that  the  Americans  were  advanc- 
ing to  attack  them  in  full  force. 

After  midnight  the  skirmishers  would  return  to  their 
camp  and  resign  themselves  to  sleep,  using  for  their 
beds  the  brush  collected  from  the  swamp ;  and  the  Ten- 
nesseeans,  who  were  encamped  on  the  extreme  left, 
lying  on  gunwales  or  logs,  raised  a  few  inches  above 
the  surface  of  the  water  or  soft  mire  of  the  morass. 
About  two  hours  after  daybreak,  a  general  stir  would 


THE   BKITISH   BEING   UP   THEIR   BIG   GUNS.  247 

be  observable  in  the  American  camp — this  was  for  the 
general  muster.  Drums  were  then  beaten  and  several 
bands  of  music — among  which  that  of  the  Orleans  bat- 
talion (Plauche's)  was  conspicuous — would  animate  the 
spirits  of  the  men  with  martial  strains,  that  could  be 
heard  in  the  desolate  and  gloomy  camp  of  the  British, 
where  no  melodious  notes  or  other  sounds  of  cheerful- 
ness were  allowed  to  mock  their  misery ;  where  not 
even  a  bugle  sounded,  unless  as  a  warning  or  a  sum- 
mons of  the  guard  to  the  relief  o"f  some  threatened  out- 
post. A  writer — who  draws  more  freely  upon  his 
imagination  than  upon  the  authentic  records  of  the 
country,  and  yet  whose  works  have  obtained  great 
popularity  among  a  people  who  prefer  the  dramatic  and 
highly  wrought  to  the  sober,  but  often  really  more  in- 
teresting facts  of  history — Headley,  in  his  life  of  Jack- 
son thus  describes  the  two  camps:  "The  two  hostile 
camps  presented  a  spectacle  of  the  most  striking  inter- 
est. The  British  lay  in  full  view  of  the  American  lines 
— their  white  tents  looking  amid  the  surrounding  water 
like  clouds  of  sail  resting  on  the  bosom  of  the  river, 
while  at  intervals  a  random  shot,  or  the  morning  and 
evening  gun,  sent  their  slow  challenge  to  the  foe.  There 
was  marching  and  counter-marching,  strains  of  martial 
music  and  all  the  confused  sounds  of  camp-life,  while 
to  them  an  American  intrenchment,  which  stretched  in 
a  dark  line  across  the  plain,  semed  as  silent  as  death, 
except  when  a  solitary  gun  sent  forth  its  sullen  defiance." 
This  picture  is  the  reverse  of  the  truth.  It  presents  a 
^ood  illustration  of  the  evil  of  that  system  of  historical 
romancing,  for  which  this  writer  has  become  famous. 
The  contrast  drawn  by  the  author  of  "  The  Subaltern  in 
America,"  a  British  officer  in  Packenham's  army,  in  the 


24:8          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS.  -  , 

following  quotation,  forms  quite  a  different  picture  from 
that  sketched  by  the  imagination  of  Headley. 

"  On  the  summit  of  the  centre  works  a  lofty  flag- 
staff was  erected,  from  which  a  large  American  ensign 
constantly  waved ;  whilst  in  the  rear  of  the  breast-work, 
a  crowd  of  white  tents  showed  themselves,  not  a  few  ol 
which  bore  flags  at  the  top  of  their  poles. 

"The  American  camp  exhibited,  at  least,  as  much  ol 
the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  war  as  modern  camps  are 
acccustomed  to  exhibit,  and  the  spirits  of  its  inmates 
were  kept  continually  in  a  state  of  excitement  by  the 
bands  of  martial  music.  How  different  was  the  specta- 
cle, to  which  a  glance  towards  the  rear  introduced  the 
spectator,  presenting  exactly  the  same  extent  of  front. 
The  British  army  lay  there  without  tents,  without  works, 
without  show,  without  parade,  upon  the  ground. 
Throughout  the  whole  line  not  more  than  a  dozen  huts 
were  erected,  and  these,  which  consisted  only  of  planks 
torn  from  the  houses  and  from  fences  near,  furnished 
but  an  inefficient  protection  against  the  inclemency 
of  the  weather.  No  band  played  among  our  men 
nor  did  a  bugle  give  its  sound,  except  to  warn  the 
hearers  of  danger  and  put  them  on  the  alert.  On  the 
contrary,  the  routine  of  duty  was  conducted  in  as 
much  silence  as  if  there  had  been  no  musical  instru- 
ments in  the  camp.  It  was  impossible  not  to  be  struck 
with  the  contrast  which  the  condition  and  apparent  com- 
forts of  the  invading  and  defending  hosts  presented." 

After  the  nervousness  natural  to  young  soldiers  had 
worn  off,  and  the  Americans  had  become,  in  a  measure, 
hardened  to  their  new  mode  of  life,  with  characteristic 
self-reliance  and  aptitude  for  taking  care  of  themselves, 
their  camp  was  made  to  present  an  aspect  which  would 


THE  BRITISH  BEING  UP    THEIR  BIG  GUNS.  249 

have  done  credit  to  a  well-appointed  army.  All  this, 
too,  was  done  without  the  aid  of  the  Government.  The 
men  who  defended  those  lines  were  generally  gentle- 
men, in  the  social  sense  of  the  word,  and  provided  their 
own  equipments,  arms,  and  all  their  comforts,  from  their 
own  private  means.  Nor  did  the  gay  and  high-spirited 
Orleanois  renounce  entirely  their  favorite  amusements, 
pleasures  and  gallantries  during  the  severe  service  at 
the  lines.  On  the  contrary,  the  General-in-chief  was 
frequently  compelled  to  administer  very  severe  reproofs 
to  both  officers  and  men  for  sundry  derelictions  from 
duty  and  breaches  of  discipline.  Sentinels  would  be 
eluded  and  commanders  "  dodged"  whilst  all  was  quiet 
in  front,  and  many  a  gallant  Creole  youth  would  thus 
steal  back  to  town,  to  snatch  a  few  minutes  of  delight- 
ful intercourse  with  wife  or  sweetheart,  and  solace  his 
spirits  and  his  body  with  a  few  of  the  comforts  of  home 
and  city  life.  But,  woe  to  him  if  he  were  not  at  his 
post,  when  reveille  sounded,  and  the  signal  was  given 
for  the  army  to  get  under  arms ! 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  within  the  American 
lines  during  the  time  the  British  were  engaged  in  unceas- 
ing labors,  and  contending  against  unexpected  and 
insurmountable  difficulties  and  obstacles,  in  the  vain 
hope  of  rescuing  themselves  from  the  perplexing  posi- 
tion into  which  they  had  been  brought.  Their  move- 
ments in  establishing  redoubts  and  batteries  at  various 
points  were  closely  watched  and  vigorously  opposed. 
Crawley's  thirty-two  and  You's  twenty-four  were  kept 
busy  playing  upon  a  redoubt,  which  the  British  were 
throwing  up  on  their  extreme  right,  near  the  woods. 
Notwithstanding  its  great  distance,  many  of  their  shot 
took  effect,  demolishing  parts  of  the  redoubts  and  killing 

11* 


250          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

several  men.  At  night  the  work  would  be  repaired,  and 
Jackson's  Artillery  would  be  compelled  with  the  dawn 
of  the  day  to  resume  the  the  task  of  demolition.  It  was 
fine  practice  for  the  American  gunners,  who  were  thus 
enabled  to  attain  that  extraordinary  precision,  which  so 
greatly  amazed  the  British. 

On  the  31st,  the  redoubt  near  the  woods  having  been 
repaired  and  strengthened,  commenced  a  brisk  fire  on 
the  American  lines,  which  was  warmly  returned.  This 
cannonading  was  kept  up  on  both  sides,  during  the 
whole  day.  Under  cover  of  this  battery  several  recon- 
noitering  parties  were  observed,  traversing  the  fields 
and  making  very  careful  and  exact  observations  of  the 
position  of  Jackson's  batteries.  These  parties  were  not 
neglected  by  the  sleepless  cannoniers  of  the  Louisiana, 
who  leaving  the  land  batteries  to  carry  on  their  duel, 
thought  proper  to  keep  off  any  intruders  by  throwing  a 
shower  of  grape  and  round  shot  in  every  direction  where 
any  movement  was  observed  in  the  British  camp.  Even 
individuals  were  thus  picked  off,  and  reconnoitering 
duty  became  equal  in  desperateness  to  that  of  the  for- 
lorn hope  in  a  storming  party. 

Jackson  soon  discovered  the  design  of  the  British. 
The  activity  in  their  camp, — the  frequent  reconnois- 
sances, — the  withdrawal  of  the  great  body  of  the  troops 
to  the  rear, — all  the  signs  indicated  a  new  and  more 
vigorous  blow  than  had  yet  been  aimed  at  his  insignifi- 
cant fortifications. 

On  the  night  of  the  31st  the  American  sentinels  and  out- 
posts reported  that  the  whole  British  army  had  advanced 
within  five  or  six  hundred  yards  of  their  lines,  and 
could  be  distinctly  heard  at  work  with  spades,  digging 
the  earth  or  hammering  at  certain  wood-work.  What 


THE   BRITISH   BEING   UP   THEIR   BIG   GUNS.  251 

could  it  all  mean  ?  was  the  query  which  ran  through 
the  camp,  and  greatly  inflamed  the  natural  curiosity  of 
the  Americans  as  to  what  would  be  the  next  move  of 
the  red-coats?  This  was  the  inquiry  of  the  young 
soldiers.  There  were  veterans  in  the  lines — men  who 
had  served  in  regular  armies — old  soldiers  of  Dumou- 
rier,  Hoche,  Moreau,  and  Napoleon,  who  perceived  at  a 
glance  the  design  of  the  enemy,  and  collecting  around 
them  groups  of  younger  soldiers,  plain  militiamen, 
explained  to  them,  with  a  pruriency  of  military  techni- 
calities, the  whole  plan  of  the  British. 

They  were  correct  in  their  calculations  that  the  British 
were  about  to  try  what  virtue  liiere  was  in  batteries  and 
big  guns.  Packenham  had  consented  to  give  the  artil- 
lery and  navy  an  opportunity  of  redeeming  the  fortunes 
of  the  army,  by  attempting  to  effect  a  breach  in  Jack- 
son's works.  Accordingly,  on  the  night  of  the  31st, 
twenty  long  eighteen  and  ten  twenty-fours  having  been 
brought  into  camp,  with  ammunition  enough  for  six 
hours'  continued  cannonading,  it  was  determined  to 
throw  up  several  redoubts  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
American  lines.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  half  of  the 
army  was  ordered  out,  and  marched  silently  to  the  front, 
passing  the  pickets,  and  halting  when  they  reached  a 
designated  spot,  about  four  hundred  yards  from  Jack- 
son's camp.  Here  the  men  were  ordered  to  stack  arms 
and  go  to  work  with  spades  and  picks,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  engineering  officers,  and  the  general  super- 
intendence of  Colonel  (now  General)  Sir  John  Burgoyne, 
Inspector  of  Fortifications  in  the  British  army,  and 
Director  of  the  Engineering  operations  before  Sevas- 
topol. The  men  worked  with  great  vigor  and  activity 
The  85th  and  95th  hovered  in  front  and  on  the  flanks  to 


252  JACKSON  AND  NEW  OKLEANS. 

cover  the  working  parties.  The  night  was  dark.  The 
utmost  silence  was  rigidly  enforced  by  the  officers. 
Each  man  strove  to  accomplish  his  task  more  promptly 
and  satisfactorily  than  his  neighbor.  The  officers  joined 
in  the  work.  Not  a  few  hands,  which  were  unused  to 
toil,  were  hardened  by  that  night's  labor.  Every  one 
who  had  the  strength  wielded  a  spade  or  pickaxe, 
"knowing,  as  we  all  knew,"  remarks  the  Subaltern, 
"  that  we  worked  for  life  or  death."  The  work  had  to 
be  done  with  caution  and  silence  as  well  as  zeal  and 
vigor,  for  the  "cunning  Yankees"  were  evidently  alive, 
and  they  might  thus  lose  the  effect  which  the  sudden- 
ness of  their  new  movement  was  expected  to  produce. 
The  work  in  which  the  British  were  thus  earnestly 
employed  was  the  erection  and  solidification  of  several 
redoubts,  from  which  it  was  proposed  to  open  upon  the 
American  entrenchments  a  fire  which  must  sweep  such 
frail  structures  from  the  earth.  In  making  the  embank- 
ments of  the  redoubts,  the  engineers  were  sorely  pressed 
for  solid  material.  Everything  which  appeared  to  possess 
any  capacity  for  resistance  was  thrown  into  the  mounds, 
so  as  to  give  them  solidity  and  strength.  Even  the 
hogsheads  of  sugar  that  lay  around  the  ruins  of  the 
sugar-houses  of  the  plantations  near,  were  rolled  to  the 
front,  and  placed  upright  in  the  parapets,  under  the 
belief  that  they  would  prove  to  be  quite  as  useful  in 
resisting  cannon  balls  as  sand,  which  is  frequently  useu 
for  this  purpose.  Several  thousand  dollars'  worth  of 
sugar  was  thus  wasted. 

The  result  of  these  great  labors  was  the  completion, 
before  dawn,  of  three  solid  demilunes,  placed  on  the 
right,  centre  and  left,  at  nearly  equal  distances  apart,  in 
which  were  established  thirty  pieces  of  heavy  ordnance, 


THE   BMTISH   BRING    UP   THEIB   BIG   GUNS.  253 

with  the  necessary  quantity  of  ammunition.  Manned 
by  the  artillerists  and  the  picked  gunners  of  the  fleet — 
the  veterans  of  Kelson  and  Collinsgwood — this  powerful 
battery  was  placed  in  the  most  efficient  condition  to 
open  upon  the  enemy's  lines  as  soon  as  they  should  be- 
come visible  through  the  morning  mist. 


254          JACKSON  AND  NEW  OKLKAHB. 


xm. 

BATTLE   OF  THE   BATTERIES. 

A  THICK  fog  ushered  in  the  first  of  January,  1815. 
To  an  unusual  late  hour  of  the  morning,  this  fog  hung 
over  the  fields  and  obscured  all  objects,  so  that  neither 
army  could  see  twenty  yards  to  the  front.  As  soon  as 
the  works  were  completed,  the  British  infantry  fell  back 
about  two  hundred  yards  in  the  rear  of  their  battery, 
where,  drawn  up  in  battle  array,  they  awaited  anxiously 
to  observe  the  effect  of  the  new  plan  of  operations,  and 
prepared  to  take  advantage  of  the  expected  breach 
which  was  to  be  made  in  the  American  works.  The 
artillerists  and  sailors  stood  with  lighted  matches  behind 
the  compact  redoubts,  which  were  so  constructed  as  to 
be  defended,  as  well  against  the  flanking  fire  of  the 
Louisiana  and  of  Paterson's  batteries,  as  against  the 
batteries  in  front.  Thus  they  stood,  impatiently  waiting 
for  the  sun  to  dissipate  the  heavy  vapors  which  con- 
cealed its  face  long  after  it  had  risen  above  the  horizon. 

The  Americans  not  being  disturbed  at  break  of  day, 
as  their  veterans  had  predicted,  by  the  apprehended 
bombardment,  had  resumed  their  equability  and  careless 
demeanor.  Indeed,  they  had  turned  out,  to  honor  and 
salute  the  New  Year,  by  various  joyful  demonstrations. 
A  grand  parade  was  ordered.  At  an  early  hour  all  the 
troops  were  out  in  clean  clothes,  with  bright  arms,  and 


BATTLE  OF  THE  BATTERIES.  255 

I 

cheerful  countenances.  The  different  military  bands 
pealed  forth  their  most  animating  strains.  The  various 
regimental  and  company  standards  were  unfurled,  and 
fluttered  gaily  in  the  morning  breeze.  Officers  rode  to 
and  fro  through  the  camp,  full  of  pride  and  enthusiasm. 
Many  citizens  who  had  been  permitted  to  come  into  camp, 
to  see  their  relations  and  friends,  were  walking  carelessly 
over  the  field  in  which  the  tents  were  pitched.  All  was 
animation,  confidence,  security  and  joviality  in  the 
American  camp.  This  condition  of  affairs  in  the  Ameri- 
can lines  was  perceived  by  the  British,  who  chafed 
with  impatience  to  convert  the  scene  into  one  of  a  very 
different  character.  The  day  was  far  advanced  before 
the  heavy  fog  which  obstructed  the  view  from  the 
British  batteries  rolled  up,  like  a  stage-curtain,  and  the 
bright  sun  came  forth  to  reveal  and  expose  the  animated 
spectacle  of  the  American  camp.  But  the  British  did 
not  pause  to  contemplate  this  scene.  At  a  signal  from 
the  central  redoubt,  thirty  large  cannon  belched  forth 
their  fiery  missiles  upon  the  American  lines  at  point 
blank  distance.  At  the  same  time,  to  render  the  fire 
more  impressive  and  startling,  myriads  of  Congreve 
rockets  were  thrown  up  from  the  redoubts,  which  filled 
the  firmament  with  flaming  orbits  and  rained  meteoric 
showers  upon  the  fields  around  and  upon  the  American 
camp.  It  would  be  vain  to  deny  that  the  Americans 
were  startled  by  the  suddenness  and  violence  of  this 
cannonade  Their  parade  was  quickly  ended.  The 
men  broke  ranks  and  dispersed,  not  as  some  British 
writers  have  represented,  in  terror  and  alarm,  but  to 
proceed  to  their  respective  posts  in  the  lines.  The  post 
of  duty  on  this  occasion  was  not  the  post  of  danger,  for 
it  was  only  when  standing  immediately  behind  their 


256  JACKSON    AND    NEW    OELEAN8. 

parapet  that  the  Americans  were  safe  from  the  shot  and 
shells  of -the  enemy.  No  one  in  their  camp  was  in 
greater  danger  than  the  General-in-Chief.  The  head- 
quarters at  Macarte's  was  the  favorite  target  of  the 
British  battery  near  the  road.  Here  Jackson,  surrounded 
by  his  staff,  was  taking  a  hurried  breakfast,  when,  as 
the  first  intimation  of  the  opening  of  the  British  batteries, 
there  came  a  terrific  crash  of  balls,  rockets  and  shells, 
which,  piercing  the  frail  walls  of  the  old  chateau,  passed 
through  every  part  of  it,  scattering  bricks,  splinters  of 
wood,  and  furniture,  and  plaster  in  every  direction,  so 
that  several  of  the  General's  aids  were  thickly  covered 
with  the  rubbish.  It  was  a  miracle  that  no  one  was 
hurt,  though  for  ten  minutes  after  the  batteries  opened, 
not  less  than  a  hundred  balls,  rockets  and  shells  struck 
the  house.  It  became  too  warm  a  place,  for  even  the 
fearless  General.  Calling  his  aids  around  him  he  walked 
towards  the  lines.  Here  he  found  the  men  all  at  their 
posts,  regarding  with  breathless  anxiety  and  some 
degree  of  nervousness,  the  shock  which  the  tremendous 
cannonade  of  the  enemy  communicated  to  their  embank- 
ment, and  to  the  very  ground  upon  which  they  stood. 
It  was  indeed  a  scene  calculated  to  awe  and  alarm  raw 
soldiers  and  civilians.  The  incessant  roar  and  blaze  of 
thirty  large  cannons,  the  tremor  of  the  earth  under  the 
heavy  weight  of  the  missiles,  the  awful  hissing  and 
crashing  of  shells,  the  "red  glare"  of  streaming,  circling 
rockets,  and  the  thick  smoke,  which  the  dampness  of  the 
atmosphere  gathered  over  the  scene,  formed  a  picture 
of  the  awfully  sublime,  such  as  new  soldiers  are  not 
often  required  to  face,  nor  ever  expected  to  view,  with- 
out some  degree  of  anxiety,  not  to  say  alarm.  But 
nobly  did  Jackson's  men  face  these  terrific  demonstra- 


BATTLE  OF  THE  BATTERIES.  257 

tions.  The  artillerists  stood  ready  with  their  guns 
pointed  and  matches  lighted,  waiting  until  the  smoke  of 
the  British  guns  should  disappear  and  expose  the  position 
of  their  batteries.  Jackson's  first  glance,  when  he 
reached  the  line,  was  in  the  direction  of  Humphrey's 
battery.  There  stood  this  "right  arm"  of  the  artillery, 
dressed  in  his  usual  plain  attire,  smoking  that  eternal 
cigar,  coolly  levelling  his  guns,  and  directing  his  men. 

"  Ah !"  exclaimed  the  General,  "  all  is  right ;  Hum- 
phrey is  at  his  post,  and  will  return  their  compliments 
presently."  Then,  accompanied  by  his  aids,  he  walked 
down  the  line  to  the  left,  stopping  at  each  battery  to 
inspect  its  condition,  and  waving  his  cap  to  the  men  as 
they  gave  him  three  cheers,  and  observing  to  the 
soldiers,  "Don't  mind  these  rockets,  they  are  mere  toys 
to  amuse  children." 

Presently  the  American  lines  broke  their  ominous 
silence.  Humphrey  led  off  on  the  right  with  his  twelves, 
firing  several  volleys  before  the  other  guns  began,  there- 
by creating  the  false  hope  in  the  breasts  of  the  enemy 
that  their  terrific  cannonade  would  be  gently  returned. 
But  soon  Dominique,  and  Norris,  and  Spotts  dissipated 
this  delusion,  and  with  their  larger  guns  joined  the  cho- 
rus. Next,  the  veteran  Garrique  with  his  twelve 
pounder,  directed  his  particular  attention  to  the  redoubt 
on  the  British  right  and  in  his  front,  whilst  Crawley 
made  the  earth  tremble  under  the  reverberations  of  his 
huge  piece.  And  now  once  fairly  opened,  the  batteries 
of  the  Americans  poured  forth,  without  pause  or  cessa- 
tion, a  constant  stream  of  fiery  missiles,  which  soon  de- 
stroyed the  hope  of  the  British  that  it  was  to  be  a  one- 
sided affair*  There  is  nothing  in  this  brilliant  campaign 
more  remarkable  than  the  vigor,  destructiveness,  and 


258  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

complete  success  of  this  cannonade  on  the  part  of  the 
Americans.  The  coolness  of  the  commanders  of  the 
batteries,  the  precision  of  their  fire,  and  the  regularity 
of  their  discharges,  amazed  the  veterans  in  both  armies. 
The  phlegmatic  Humphreys,  with  his  eternal  cigar,  his 
keen  eye  cocked  carelessly  over  the  embrasure,  his 
quiet  manner,  and  those  inspiring  words  of  command, 
"Let  her  off,"  which  preceded  the  discharge  of  his 
pieces ;  the  prompt  energetic  bearing  of  Lieut.  Spotts, 
a  small  man  of  indomitable  courage,  commanding  a 
hardy  band  of  those  besmoked  tars,  who  from  the  decks 
of  the  Carolina  had  hurled  such  a  terrible  tornado  into 
the  British  camp  on  the  night  of  the  23d  of  December ; 
the  agile,  wiry,  quick-eyed  and  ferocious  Dominique ; 
You,  standing  on  the  very  edge  of  the  embankment, 
exposed  to  the  storms  of  British  shot,  and  in  loud  and 
defiant  terms  in  French,  exciting  his  grim,  scarred,  and 
desperate  warriors,  to  fire  more  briskly,  to  cram  their 
pieces  to  the  mouth,  with  those  terrible  chain-shot,  and 
ponderous  ship  cannister,  and  every  description  of 
destructive  missile ;  Korris,  calm,  and  officer-like,  hand- 
ling his  piece  and  directing  his  men  as  if  merely  exer- 
cising them;  Crawley  with  equal  phlegm  and  ease, 
leveling  his  monster  with  fatal  precision ;  and  the 
enthusiastic  Garrique,  stirring  up  the  warm  blood  of 
his  old  Napoleon  artillerists,  who,  before  their  ancient 
foe,  felt  the  vengeance,  the  hostility  of  long  years 
welling  up  in  their  bosoms,  and  banishing  all  fear  or 
pity.  These  were  some  of  the  main  features  in  that 
memorable  scene,  which  greeted  the  proud  and  daunt- 
less gaze  of  the  heroic  Jackson,  as  he  passed  slow- 
ly down  the  lines,  infusing  spirit,  courage,  and  vigor 
into  all,  who  beheld  his  erect  bearing,  his  flashing 


BATTLE   OF   TI1E   BATTERIES.  259 

eye,  and  determined  countenance.  And  so,  for  an  how? 
the  fire  raged  and  the  batteries  belched  forth  their  iron 
lava, — and,  to  the  lookers  on,  it  appeared  as  if  those 
guns  were  as  inexhaustible  as  Vesuvius.  In  that  com- 
bat, it  was  quite  obvious  that  the  British  had  several 
advantages.  Their  batteries  presented  a  very  narrow 
front  and  slight  elevation  on  a  spacious  plain,  the  sur- 
face of  which  was  from  four  to  six  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  American  platforms.  The  American  works  offer- 
ed a  fair  target,  in  a  line  about  one  thousand  yards  long, 
the  top  of  the  parapet  being  higher  than  the  platforms 
of  the  British.  Nor  were  their  guns  badly  handled.  It 
could  not  be  otherwise,  manned  as  they  were  by  veter- 
an artillerists  and  the  famous  naval  gunners, — who  had 
fought  at  Trafalgar,  the  Nile,  and  Copenhagen.  Their 
sh<^;  rarely  missed  their  object.  Several  of  their  balls 
struck  the  American  guns..  Dominique's  twenty-four 
had  its  carriage  broken ;  Crawley's  thirty-two  was  also 
damaged,  the  foretrain  of  Garrique's  twelve  was  broken, 
and  two  caissons,  in  one  of  which  there  were  a  hundred 
pounds  of  powder,  were  blown  up. 

But  what  were  all  these  proofs  of  skill  and  good 
practice,  compared  with  the  extraordinary  achieve- 
ments of  the  American  gunners?  The  British,  it  will 
be  remembered,  had  at  least  thirty  guns  of  the  largest 
calibre ;  the  Americans  only  ten  of  various  calibres, 
several  being  six-pounders.  Yet,  in  an  hour  and  a 
quarter  after  the  batteries  opened,  the  British  fire  began 
to  slacken.  It  was  evident  they  were  hurt,  damaged, 
crippled.  With  intense  interest  and  eagerness  the 
Americans  strove  to  pierce  the  smoke  which  enveloped 
the  British  redoubts,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  extent  of 
the  damage.  Soon,  it  was  quite  perceptible  on  both 


260          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

sides,  that  the  embankments  of  the  batteries  were  all 
beaten  in,  the  guns  exposed,  and  some  of  the  artillerists 
killed.  The  infantry,  which  had  been  ordered  to  be 
ready  for  an  advance,  when  a  breach  was  made  in  the 
American  works,  grew  impatient,  and  became  so 
exposed  that  it  was  deemed  prudent  to  retire  them 
again  into  the  ditches.  As  the  fire  of  the  British  slack- 
ened, that  of  the  Americans  increased  in  power  and 
accuracy.  There  was  a  slight  flickering  of  hope  in  their 
bosoms,  and  a  feeble  cheer,  when  an  American  caisson 
blew  up.  It  was  a  brief  exultation.  The  Americans 
shouted  back  their  defiance,  and  redoubled  their  fire. 
With  a  terrible  crash,  the  heavy  round  and  chain  shot 
tore  through  the  thick  and  compact  mound  of  the 
redoubts,  and  scattered  into  fragments.  Then  it  was 
discovered,  that  a  great  error  had  been  committed^  in 
rising  hogsheads  of  sugar  in  the  construction  of  their 
parapets.  The  balls  penetrated  these  hogsheads  as  if 
they  were  so  many  empty  casks,  dismounting  the  guns, 
and  killing  the  men  in  the  very  centre  of  the  works.  It 
was  thus  shown  that  sugar  is  a  very  different  material 
j  from  sand. 

On  the  other  side,  the  Americans  were  equally  unsuc- 
cessful in  attempting  to  employ  one  of  the  great  staples 
of  the  country  for  warlike  purposes.  A  flatboat,  which 
lay  near  the  American  camp,  had  in  it  some  fifty  bales 
of  cotton,  the  property  of  that  since  famous  cotton  spe- 
culator, Vincent  Nolte,  who  had  purchased  them  from 
Major  Plauche,  commandant  of  the  'Orleans  battalion. 
In  the  hurried  construction  of  the  embankment,  these 
bales  had  been  rolled  out  and  thrown  into  the  pile  of 
earth  to  increase  its  bulk.  On  this  day,  the  enemy's 
balls  striking  one  of  these  bales  knocked  it  out  of  the 


BATTLE   OF  THE   BATTEBIES.  261 

mound,  set  fire  to  the  cotton,  and  sent  it  flying  about  to 
the  great  danger  of  the  ammunition.  The  bales  were 
consequently  removed,  and  some  of  them  falling  on  the 
outside  of  the  breastwork  into  the  ditch,  there  issued 
from  them  a  heavy  smoke,  which  blinded  the  artille- 
rists, and  seriously  obstructed  their  operations.  Some 
of  the  men  of  Plaudit's  battalion  volunteered  to  extin- 
guish the  burning  cotton,  and,  slipping  over  the  breast- 
work, succeeded  in  doing  so,  not,  however,  without 
injury,  one  of  the  parties  being  seriously  wounded. 
After  this  no  cotton  bales  were  ever  used  in  the  breast- 
work. Yet,  a  vulgar  error  has  long  prevailed  that 
Jackson's  defences  were  composed  chiefly  of  this  great 
staple,  which,  though  modern  science  has  discovered  to 
possess  certain  inflammable  qualities,  suited  for  some  of 
the  operations  of  war,  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  most  inse- 
cure and  dangerous  materials  out  of  which  a  breastwork 
to  resist  cannon  balls,  shells  and  rockets  could  be  con- 
structed. The  imaginations  of  the  British,  excited  by 
avarice,  by  the  prospect  of  sharing  the  immense  quan- 
tity of  this  valuable  product,  reported  to  be  accu- 
mulated in  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  might  be  excused, 
for  seeing  such  a  vast  heap  of  it,  lying,  like  the  apple 
of  Tantalus,  within  their  grasp,  and  alluring  them  to 
death  and  disgrace.  But  American  writers  are  scarcely 
pardonable  for  a  repetition  of  this  absurdity,  that  Jack- 
son's lines  were  composed,  in  whole,  or  in  part,  of 
cotton  bales.  The  experience  of  this  campaign  demon- 
strated, that  sugar  and  cotton  were  intended  for  peaceful 
uses,  for  the  nurture,  conservation  and  protection  of 
humanity,  and  not  as  aids  and  appliances  in  promoting 
man's  destruction  and  encouraging  his  passions.  It 
demonstrated  this  other  valuable  truth,  that  the  soil  of 


*  us 

262          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Louisiana  is  the  best  material  out  of  which  to  construct 
its  own  defence.  It  was  the  sole  material  of  Jackson's 
slight  breastwork.  The  British  balls  were  embedded  in 
the  soft  elastic  earth,  where  they  remained  without 
shaking  or  weakening  the  embankment.  Indeed,  they 
contributed  to  render  it  more  solid.  The  only  inlets 
through  which  they  had  access  into  the  lines,  were 
through  the  embrasures  for  the  cannon,  and  nearly  all 
these  were  penetrated  several  times.  But  the  British 
were  not  able  to  pursue  these  advantages.  Their  works 
were  rapidly  melting  before  the  fire  of  the  Americans. 
Soon  their  redoubt  was  completely  silenced,  and  the 
parapets  levelled  with  the  plain.  Then  the  Americans 
raised  the  most  stentorian  huzzas,  as  the  British  artiller- 
ists were  seen  stealing  out  of  their  demolished  works, 
and  running  as  fast  as  they  could  for  the  nearest  ditch. 
The  American  batteries  waxed  warmer,  and  continued 
their  lire  at  the  other  redoubts,  until  they,  too,  were 
soon  in  a  condition  similar  to  that  which  had  been  the 
first  object  of  their  fury. 

And  now  the  sun  had  nearly  reached  the  meridian, 
and  a  momentary  respite  being  ordered  in  the  Ameri- 
can lines,  to  allow  the  pieces  to  cool  off,  the  smoke 
ascended  from  the  stricken  plain.  Lo !  what  a  scene 
was  presented  to  the  exulting  army  of  Jackson.  As  if 
by  magic  the  terrible  works,  so  scientifically  and  labo- 
riously constructed,  from  which  the  iron  death  was  to 
be  poured  upon  the  patriotic  defenders  of  their  own 
soil,  whose  formidable  aspect  had  excited  such  alarm 
and  anxiety,  but  a  few  hours  before,  had  vanished  like 
the  "baseless  fabric  of  a  vision,  and  left  not  a  wreck 
behind."  The  big  guns  which  had  won  so  many  vic- 
tories for  England  on  the  sea,  lay  all  crippled,  broken, 


BATTLE  OF  THE  BATTERIES.  263 

dismantled,  and  heaped  up  with  rubbish,  while  those 
who  had  so  often  hurled  destruction  and  defiance  from 
their  mouths,  were  retiring  with  a  speed  worthy  of  Eng- 
lish "  blood  and  bottom,"  to  the  rear.  Never  was  work 
more  completely  done — more  perfectly  finished  and 
rounded  off.  Earth  and  heaven  fairly  shook  with  the 
prolonged  shouts  of  the  Americans  over  this  spectacle. 
Still  the  remorseless  artillerists  would  not  cease  their 
fire.  The  British  infantry  would  now  and  then  raise 
their  heads  and  peep  forth  from  the  ditches  in  which 
they  were  so  ingloriously  ensconced.  The  level  plain 
presented  but  a  few  knolls  or  elevations  to  shelter  them, 
and  the  American  artillerists  were  as  skillful  as  rifle- 
men in  picking  off  those  who  exposed  ever  so  small  a 
portion  of  their  bodies.*  Several  extraordinary  exam- 

*  Colonel  John  Burgnyne,  the  engineer  who  constructed  these  works,  which  were  so 
effectually  demolished  by  Jackson's  artillery  on  the  1st  of  January,  1815,  has  expe- 
rienced other  disasters  of  a  like  character  during  his  long  serrice.  The  failure  of  the 
bombardment  of  Sevastopol  during  the  present  campaign,  where  he  (John  Burgoyne) 
directed  the  English  works,  has  provoked  from  some  military  critic  in  the  London 
Times,  the  folio-wing  severe  review  of  his  military  career,  which  will  be  found  interest- 
ing from  the  similarity  of  the  error  charged  upon  Sir  John  in  his  operations  before 
Sevastopol  wilh  that  committed  by  him  at  New  Orleans,  and  as  a  remarkable  example 
of  an  officer  who  has  learned  nothing  from  the  most  impressive  and  striking  expe- 
rience, and  memorable  disasters : 

"  It  is  a  curious  coincidence  in  the  history  of  one's  life,  that  Sir  John  Burgoyne 
should,  in  the  prime  and  at  the  end  of  his  military  career,  have  commanded  the  engi- 
neers in  two  great  sieges,  and  twice  have  been  foiled  from  the  very  same  circumstan- 
ces. In  1312,  when  the  Duke  of  Wellington  advanced  against  Burgos,  the  town  was  unfor- 
tified, an  old  castle  had  been  modernized,  and  the  French  had  thrown  up  three  lines  of 
earthworks  around  the  hill  on  which  it  stood.  These  had  been  executed  in  haste,  and 
in  defiance  of  all  rule,  but  against  those  we  fired,  sapped,  and  mined  in  vain ;  two 
thousand  French  soldiers  held  the  place  against  an  English  army  commanded  by  a 
general,  undefeated  up  to  that  time,  but  who  was  then  forced  to  retreat,  to  abandon 
his  siege  train,  and  the  campaign  of  that  year  was  a  failure.  After  forty-two  years, 
Sir  John  again  commands  before  Sevastopol,  and  again  the  same  thing  occurs.  A 
few  earthworks  are  thrown  up  in  haste  before  our  very  eyes,  and  the  career  of  a  victo- 
rious army  is  arrested.  And  why  is  this  ?  Had  Sir  John  been  able  to  read  the  signs 
of  the  times,  the  lesson  so  rudely  taught  him  at  Burgos  would  not  have  been  thrown 
mway.  Onr  Engineers  would  have  known  what  earthworks  were,  and  been  prepared 
•with  means  to  destroy  them,  if  such  be  possible  or  we  should  never  have  sat  down 


264:  JiCKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

pies  of  this  slu]l  were  communicated  to  the  writer  by  a 
British  officer  who  was  attached  to  Packenham's  army. 
A  number  of  the  officers  of  the  93d,  having  taken 
refuge  in  a  shallow  hollow  behind  a  slight  elevation,  it 
it  was  proposed  that  the  only  married  officer  of  the  party 
should  lie  at  the  bottom,  it  being  deemed  the  safest 
place.  Lieutenant  Phaups  was  the  officer  indicated, 
and  laughingly  assumed  the  position  assigned  him. 
This  mound  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  American 
gunners,  and  a  great  quantity  of  shot  was  thrown  at  it. 
Lieutenant  Phaups  could  not  resist  the  anxiety  to  see 
what  was  going  on  in  front,  and  peeping  forth,  with  not 
more  than  half  of  his  head  exposed,  was  struck  by  a 


before  them  as  we  have  done,  to  run  the  risk  of  failure.  We  are  reduced  to  our  pre- 
sent straits  simply  and  solely  because  Sir  John,  at  the  head  of  a  large  party  of  vete- 
rans, has,  during  the  forty  years  of  peace,  resisted  every  improvement  in  military 
science  as  a  personal  insult  to  their  superior  knowledge  and  experience,  and  they 
have,  in  consequence  of  their  position,  been  able  to  keep  things  pretty  much  as  they 
were  at  the  end  of  the  hist  war.  Sir  J.  Burgoyne  is  preeminently  what  in  official  par- 
lance is  termed  '  a  safe  man  ;'  he  never  troubled  the  ministry  for  money  to  make  sci- 
entific experiments,  or  to  improve  the  education  of  engineers  or  artillerymen.  For 
every  inventor  he  had  a  bucket  of  cold  water  administered  in  the  blandest  manner 
possible.  He  possessed  above  all  men,  the  art  of  keeping  things  smooth  and  quiet  in 
Pallmall,  and  rose  in  favor  and  in  fortune  accordingly.  He  hoped,  of  course,  that 
these  things  would  last  his  time,  and  so  they  would  have  done  but  for  this  ugly  Russian 
war,  which  has  destroyed  all  these  visions  of  quiet;  and  we  now  find  ourselves 
engaged  in  a  struggle  with  the  most  barbarous  nation  of  Europe,  whose  soldiers  arc 
serfs,  whose  officers  are  half  educated,  and  whose  military  system  is  corrupt  to  the 
core,  yet  in  every  scientific  point  they  have  shown  themselves  as  superior  to  us  in  mili- 
tary, as  we  are  to  them  and  the  rest  of  Europe  in  military  engineering.  Their  artillery 
silences  ours  without  difficulty.  The  shells  are  larger,  and  thrown  with  greater  pre- 
cision than  ours,  and  their  skill  in  fortification  amazes  our  officers,  who  can  make  no 
head  against  it.  Their  science,  in  short,  has  made  up  for  all  their  other  deficiencies, 
and  neutralized  all  the  intelligence  and  bravery  of  our  noble  soldiers;  and  for  all  this 
we  have  to  thank  Sir  John  Burgoyne  and  hig  band  of  co-obstructives,  who  have 
reduced  the  skill  of  the  most  scientific  and  enterprising  people  of  Europe  below  the 
level  of  the  most  barbarous.  Will  even  the  people  of  England  and  Parliament,  though 
generally  so  ignorant  and  careless  on  such  matters,  submit  to  this  much  longer  f  It 
has  required  a  war  as  dreadful  as  this  one  is,  to  open  our  eyes  to  the  absurdities  of 
our  military  system  ;  but  if  it  doei  so  effectually,  those  who  hare  fallen  became  of 
their  superiors,  will  not  all,  at  least,  have  fallen  In  Tain." 


BATTLE  OF  THE  BATTERIES.  265 

twelve-pound  shot,  and  instantly  killed.  His  compa- 
nions buried  him  on  the  spot  on  which  he  fell,  in  full 
uniform.  Several  officers  and  men  were  picked  off  in  a 
similar  manner. 

During  the  cannonading,  the  British  had  sent  a 
detachment  of  light  troops  through  the  woods  on  the 
left  of  the  Americans,  to  see  what  impression  could  be 
made  on  that  quarter.  But  Jackson,  warned  by  the 
experience  of  the  28th,  had  given  special  attention  to 
this  part  of  his  lines.  As  soon  as  the  British  showed 
themselves  in  this  quarter,  Coffee  ordered  his  men  to 
drive  them  into  the  swamp,  and  drown  them.  The  agile 
Tennesseeans,  leaping  like  cats  from  log  to  log,  and 
utterly  indifferent  to  mire  and  water,  satisfied  the 
heavy,  beef-eating,  bog-fearing  Britons,  that  they  could 
beat  them  at  swamp  fighting,  and  soon  drove  off  the 
intruders.  On  the  Levee  the  British  battery  had  been 
quite  active  and  efficient  in  holding  the  Louisiana  at 
bay,  and  exchanging  shots  with  Patterson's  marine  bat- 
tery on  the  right  bank  of  the  river.  They  fired  with 
great  precision,  and  several  of  their  shot  struck  Patter- 
son's works,  but  produced  no  serious  injury.  The  main 
object  of  this  battery  was  to  destroy  the  Louisiana. 
For  this  purpose,  shot  were  kept  constantly  heated. 
But  the  Louisiana  remained  beyond  the  reach  of  this 
battery.  Humphrey,  after  completing  the  demolition  of 
the  redoubts  in  front,  now  turned  his  attention  to  that 
on  the  Levee,  and,  uniting  his  fire  with  Patterson's, 
soon  demolished  the  work. 

The  British  had  abandoned  all  their  redoubts.  But 
still  they  were  not  out  of  the  reach  of  the  American 
guns.  Impatiently  they  waited  for  the  cover  of  night 
to  escape  from  the  fierce  clutch  of  their  indefatigable 

12 


266  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

foe,  and  gain  once  more  that  desolate,  but  now  desired 
camping  ground,  from  which  they  had  advanced  with 
such  high  hopes  the  night  before.  Even  this  movement 
was  attended  with  difficulty  and  danger;  for  when 
night  drew  her  sable  curtain  over  the  scene,  the  Ame- 
rican scouts  resumed  their  old  predatory  practices,  and 
crept  near  enough  to  throw  their  whizzing  bullets  at 
every  visible  living  object.  Never  were  brave  men 
more  dispirited  and  cast  down  than  Packenham's  sol- 
diers, as  they  wended  their  slow  and  dreary  way  back 
to  their  old  camp.  They  had  been  without  food  or 
sleep  for  sixty  hours.  They  were  worn  down  with 
fatigue,  suffering,  exhaustion  and  exposure  to  the  damp 
night  air.  What  was  worse  than  all,  they  were  pros- 
trated in  hope  and  spirits.  No  wonder  they  murmured 
audibly  against  such  labors,  trials  and  deprivations. 
Military  glory  had  ceased  to  occupy  their  minds  and 
imaginations.  Avarice  was  extinct  in  their  hearts. 
They  thought  only  of  the  present,  the  dark,  gloomy, 
desolate  present;  of  their  unavailing  advances,  their 
unaccountable  failures,  their  severe  losses,  their  inces- 
sant fatigues.  If  men  ever  were  driven  to  the  verge  of 
despair,  if  an  army  ever  reached  a  condition,  which 
would  have  palliated,  if  not  justified  mutiny  and  rebel- 
lion, certainly  the  soldiers  of  Packenham  were  in  that 
state  on  the  night  of  the  1st  of  January,  1815.  Nor  did 
their  labors  end  with  the  retirement  of  the  army. 
Again  the  men  were  ordered  out  to  drag  the  dismounted 
guns  into  camp.  It  was  a  terrible  task.  The  soil  was 
soft,  and  the  guns  were  very  heavy.  It  was  not  until 
morning  that  all  the  guns  which  were  considered  of  any 
value  could  be  removed.  Five  of  them  were  left 
behind,  and  subsequently  became  the  property  of  the 


BATTLE   OF  THE   BATTERIES.  267 

Americans.  This  labor  being  accomplished,  the  troops 
were  all  called  into  camp.  The  officers  and  men 
eagerly  threw  themselves  on  the  damp  ground,  and 
were  soon  wrapped  in  deep  slumber.  That  whilom 
busy  and  active  camp,  was  now  as  still  and  quiet  as  a 
grave-yard. 

Different  feelings  and  desires  agitated  the  American 
army.  The  infantry  had  regarded  with  unbounded  joy 
and  pride,  the  brilliant  performances  of  the  artillery, 
which  monopolized  the  labor  and  glory  of  the  day. 
Indifferent  to  the  shower  of  balls,  shells  and  rockets, 
which  were  thrown  into  every  part  of  the  line,  the  men 
who  were  not  on  duty,  would  crowd  around  the  guns, 
to  witness  the  wonderful  precision  and  coolness  with 
which  they  were  directed  and  managed.  Many  of  the 
infantry  were  employed  in  aiding  the  artillerists,  bring- 
ing the  ammunition,  and  performing  other  useful  tasks 
about  the  batteries. 

Among  those  who  were  thus  engaged,  was  one,  whose 
memory  is  cherished  with  pious  devotion  by  thousands 
in  the  community,  which  he  so  long  blessed  with  his 
inexhaustible  benevolence.  The  1st  of  January,  1815, 
witnessed  the  only  scene  of  contention  and  bloodshed, 
in  the  long,  peaceful  and  virtuous  life  of  that  pure- 
minded  philanthropist,  Judah  Touro,  whose  fame  is 
coequal  with  the  boundaries  of  this  Republic,  and  has 
extended  to  distant  and  foreign  lands,  which  he  has 
brightened  and  comforted  by  his  beneficence. 

After  performing  other  severe  labors  as  a  common 
soldier  in  the  ranks,  Mr.  Touro,  on  the  1st  of  January, 
volunteered  his  services  to  aid  in  carrying  shot  and  shell 
from  the  magazine  to  Humphrey's  battery.  In  this 
humble  but  perilous  duty,  he  was  seen  actively  engaged 


268          JACK80N  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

during  the  terrible  cannonade  with  which  the  British 
opened  the  day,  regardless  of  the  cloud  of  iron  missiles 
which  flew  around  him,  when  many  of  the  stoutest- 
hearted  clung  closely  to  the  embankment  or  sought  some 
shelter.  But  in  the  discharge  of  duty,  this  good  man 
knew  no  fear,  and  perceived  no  danger.  It  was  whilst 
thus  engaged,  that  he  was  struck  on  the  thigh  by  a 
twelve-pound  shot,  which  produced  a  ghastly  and  dan- 
gerous wound,  tearing  off  a  large  mass  of  flesh.  Mr. 
Touro  long  survived  this  event,  leading  a  life  of  unos- 
tentatious piety  and  charity,  and  setting  an  example  of 
active  philanthropy,  which  justly  merited  the  fervent 
gratitude  and  warm  affection  in  which  he  was  held  by 
the  community  of  which  he  was  justly  regarded  as  the 
Patriarch — the  "  Israelite  without  guile." 

No  charitable  appeal  was  ever  made  to  him  in  vain. 
His  contributions  to  philanthropic  and  pious  enterprises 
exceed  those  of  any  other  citizen.  The  same  patriotism 
which  prompted  him  to  expose  his  life  on  the  plains  of 
Chalmette,  dictated  that  handsome  donation  of  ten 
thousand  dollars  for  the  completion  of  the  Bunker  Hill 
Monument,  and  has  characterized  a  thousand  other 
deeds  of  like  liberality,  performed  "  by  stealth,"  which 
were  no  less  commendable  for  their  generosity  than 
their  entire  freedom  from  sectarian  feeling  or  selfish 
aim. 

An  incident,  illustrative  of  the  beauty  of  friendship 
and  gratitude,  of  the  noble  and  gentle  traits  of  humanity, 
may  serve  as  an  agreeable  relief  in  this  narrative  of  strife 
and  bloodshed. 

Judah  Touro  and  Hezin  D.  Shepherd,  two  enterprising 
merchants,  the  one  from  Boston  and  the  other  from  Yir- 
gmia,  had  settled  in  New  Orleans  at  the  commencement 


BATTLE   OF  THE   BATTERIES.  269 

of  the  present  century.  They  were  intimate,,  devoted 
friends,  who  lived  under  the  same  roof,  and  were  scarcely 
ever  separated.  When  the  State  was  invaded,  both 
volunteered  their  services,  and  were  enrolled  among  its 
defenders.  Mr.  Touro  was  attached  to  the  Regiment  of 
Louisiana  Militia,  and  Mr.  Shepherd  to  Captain  Ogden's 
Horse  Troop. 

Commodore  Patterson,  who  was  an  intimate  friend  of 
Mr.  Shepherd,  solicited  Gen.  Jackson  to  detach  him,  as 
his  Aid,  to  assist  the  Commodore  in  the  erection  of  his 
battery  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  and  in  the  de- 
fence of  that  position.  It  was  whilst  acting  as  Patter- 
son's Aid,  that  Mr.  Shepherd  came  across  the  river,  on 
the  1st  of  January,  with  orders  to  procure  two  masons 
to  execute  some  work  on  the  Commodore's  battery.  The 
first  person  Mr.  Shepherd  saw,  on  reaching  the  left  bank, 
was  Reuben  Kemper,  who  informed  him  that  his  old 
friend  Touro  was  dead.  Forgetting  his  urgent  and  im- 
portant mission,  Mr.  Shepherd  eagerly  inquired  whither 
they  had  taken  his  friend.  He  was  directed  to  a  wall 
of  an  old  building,  which  had  been  demolished  by  the 
British  battery  in  the  rear  of  Jackson's  headquarters, 
and  on  reaching  it,  found  Mr.  Touro  in  an  apparently 
dying  condition.  He  was  in  charge  of  Dr.  Kerr,  who 
had  dressed  his  wound,  but  who,  shaking  his  head,  de- 
clared that  there  was  no  hope  for  him.  Mr.  Shepherd, 
with  the  devotion  of  true  friendship,  determined  to 
make  every  effort  to  save  his  old  companion.  He  pro- 
cured a  cart,  and  lifting  the  wounded  man  into  it,  drove 
to  the  city.  He  administered  brandy  very  freely  to  his 
fainting  and  prostrate  friend,  and  thus  in  a  great  degree 
kept  him  alive.*  On  reaching  the  city,  Mr.  Shepherd 

.  *  The  good  old  man  used  to  say  this  was  the  only  time  he  ever  drank  to  excel*. 


270  JACKSON    AND    NEW    OKLEAN8. 

carried  Touro  into  his  house,  and  there  obtaining  the 
services,  as  nurses,  of  some  of  those  noble  ladies  of  the 
city,  who  devoted  themselves  with  so  much  ardor  to  the 
care  and  attendance  of  the  sick  and  wounded  of  Jack- 
son's army,  and  seeing  that  he  was  supported  with  every 
comfort  and  need,  he  hastened  to  discharge  the  import- 
ant duty  which  had  been  confided  to  him,  and  which 
he  had  nearly  pretermitted,  in  responding  to  the  still 
more  sacred  calls  of  friendship  and  affection. 

It  was  late  in  the  day  before  Shepherd,  having  per- 
formed his  mission,  returned  to  Patterson's  battery.  The 
cloud  of  anger  was  gathering  on  the  brow  of  the  Com- 
modore, when  he  met  his  delinquent  or  dilatory  aid,  but 
it  soon  dispersed,  when  the  latter  frankly  and  promptly 
exclaimed, 

"  Commodore,  you  can  hang  or  shoot  me,  and  it  will 
be  all  right ;  but  my  best  friend  needed  my  assistance, 
and  nothing  on  earth  could  have  induced  me  to  neglect 
him."  He  then  stated  the  circumstances  of  Mr.  Touro's 
misfortune,  and  the  causes  of  his  dilatory  execution  of 
the  duty  assigned  to  him.  Commodore  Patterson  was  a 
man — he  appreciated  the  feelings  of  his  aid,  and  thought 
more  of  him  after  this  incident  than  before.  They  con- 
tinued warm  friends  throughout  the  campaign,  and  ever 
afterwards. 

Shepherd  and  Touro,  with  a  friendship  thus  tested 
and  cemented,  were  ever  afterwards  inseparable  in  this 
world.  Death  alone  could  sever  them,  and  then  only 
in  a  material  sense.  Such  fidelity  deserved  the  rich 
reward  which  fortune  showered  on  them.  They  became 
millionaires,  and  as  the  most  valuable  of  their  posses- 
sions retained  the  esteem  and  regard  of  the  community 
of  which  they  were  the  patriarchs. 


BATTLE   OF  THE   BATTERIES.  271 

On  the  18th  of  January,  1854,  the  venerable  philan- 
thropist, Judah  Touro,  was  "  gathered  unto  his  fathers," 
arnid  the  lamentations  of  the  whole  population  of  New 
Orleans.  Public  journals  in  their  columns,  and  divines 
in  their  pulpits,  offered  eloquent  and  just  tributes  to  his 
virtues.  No  man  ever  died  in  the  city,  who  was  more 
universally  regretted,  or  whose  memory  will  be  more 
gratefully  preserved.  A  few  days  before  his  death — to 
wit,  on  6th  January,  1854 — Mr.  Touro  made  a  will,  dis- 
posing of  his  immense  property.  That  will  is  an  eternal 
monument  of  his  goodness  and  philanthropy.  It  is  not 
less  remarkable  for  its  liberal  and  discriminating  charity, 
than  for  the  earnest  affection  and  gratitude  which  the 
good  old  man  cherished  for  all  who  had  been  kind  to 
him  in  life.  After  distributing  one -half  of  his  estate 
among  various  charitable  and  religious  institutions, 
including  a  splendid  legacy  of  $80,000  to  that  much- 
needed  institution,  an  Aims-House  in  New  Orleans,  and 
handsome  endowments  to  all  the  Hebrew  congregations 
in  the  country,  as  well  as  a  large  legacy  in  favor  of  the 
project  of  restoring  the  scattered  tribes  of  Israel  to  Je- 
rusalem, with  numerous  private  legacies  to  individual 
friends,  Mr.  Touro  thus  nobly  embodies  and  expresses 
the  gratitude  and  friendship,  which,  for  nearly  forty 
years,  had  warmed  his  heart  towards  his  old  friend  and 
constant  associate  for  half  a  century: 


"  And  as  regards  my  other  designated  executor,  say  my  dear,  old 
and  devoted  friend,  Kezin  Davis  Shepherd,  to  whom,  under  Divine 
Providence,  I  was  greatly  indebted  for  the  preservation  of  my  life, 
when  I  was  wounded  on  the  1st  of  January,  1815,  I  hereby  appoint 
and  institute  him,  the  said  Eezin  Davis  Shepherd,  after  the  payment 
of  my  particular  legacies,  and  the  debts  of  my  succession,  the  uni- 


272          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

versal  legatee  of  the  rest  and  residue  of  my  estate,  movable  and 
immovable." 

As  residuary  legatee,  Mr.  Shepherd  inherits  a  prop- 
erty sufficient  to  make  him  wealthy,  if  he  were  not 
already  so ;  but  the  worthy  legatee,  regarding  this  hand- 
some donation  as  a  testimonial  of  gratitude  and  friend- 
ship, has  determined  to  apply  it  to  such  uses  as  he 
knows  would  have  gratified  his  old  friend,  if  he  were 
alive.  He  has  therefore  offered  to  expend  the  greater 
part  of  it  in  the  improvement  of  a  street  in  New  Orleans 
upon  which  they  had  both  passed  their  lives — the  scene 
of  their  old  and  long  friendship,  and  which  Mr.  Shep- 
herd desires  to  consecrate  to  the  memory  of  his  old 
friend,  by  improving  it  conformably  to  a  darling  plan 
of  Mr.  Touro,  and  by  bestowing  the  name  of  the 
deceased  philanthropist  upon  it. 

Such  are  the  incidents  of  a  friendship,  even  in  this 
age  of  commerce  and  mammon-worship,  as  true,  as 
noble,  as  constant,  as  pure  and  unselfish  as  that  which 
the  poets  have  immortalized  in  the  beautiful  episodes  of 
Orestes  and  Pylades,  of  Nisus  and  Euryalus,  of  David 
and  Jonathan. 

Jackson's  loss  on  the  1st  of  January  was  marvelously 
small,  considering  the  immense  number  of  shot  and  shell 
that  fell  in  his  camp.  Thirty-four  killed  and  wounded 
were  the  reported  loss.  Nearly  all  the  killed  were  of 
persons,  many  of  them  spectators,  who  gathered  on  the 
roads  and  in  the  rear  of  the  camp,  to  see  or  hear  what 
was  going  on.  Such  results  were  quite  as  wonderful  as 
the  other  incidents  of  this  wonderful  campaign. 


TWO  NOTABLE  WARRIORS  AND  REVOLUTIONISTS.      273 


XIV. 

I  TWO   NOTABLE   WARRIORS   AND   REVOLUTIONISTS. 

THE  retirement  of  the  British,  after  the  disastrous 
repulse  of  the  first  of  January,  restored  quiet  and 
confidence  to  the  American  camp,  and  afforded  the 
"  Hunters  "  an  opportunity  of  resuming  their  favorite 
occupation  and  amusement,  of  annoying  the  outposts  of 
the  enemy,  night  and  day,  by  sudden  attacks  of  detached 
parties,  and  often  by  penetrating  their  camp,  or  creep- 
ing near  to  their  lines  of  communication  and  picking  off 
sentinels,  decoying  deserters,  and  driving  in  pickets. 
These  scouting  parties,  composed  of  volunteers  from  the 
various  corps,  would  organize,  select  their  officers  on 
the  spot,  and  embracing  the  first  leave  of  absence  from 
duty  in  their  lines,  would  suddenly  dash  upon  some 
exposed  point  of  the  British  camp,  and  regard  it  very 
poor  luck,  if  they  did  not  pick  off  a  "  redcoat "  or  two. 
General  Jackson  frequently  needed  the  services  of  these 
scouting  parties  to  ascertain  the  movements  of  the 
enemy,  and  perform  other  services,  requiring  courage, 
caution,  skill  and  fortitude.  That  sagacious  man  never 
failed  to  perceive  and  select  the  proper  agents  he 
required  for  any  trust.  Indeed,  his  quick  and  correct 
observation  of  character  was  the  real  secret  of  much  of 
his  success,  and  of  his  great  command  over  men.  It  ia 
one  of  the  highest  attributes  of  genius. 

In  this  crowd  of  chivalric  warriors,  aisembled  in 
12* 


274:          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Jackson's  camp,  who  were  ever  ready  for  any  duty, 
how  onerous  or  perilous  soever,  there  .were  two  chiefs} 
to  whom  the  General's  attention  was  frequently  called 
by  their  gallant  bearing  and  soldierly  virtues.  Their 
previous  histories  were  familiar  to  him.  They  were 
men  who  had  figured  conspicuously  in  important 
events.  It  will  no  doubt  be  regarded  an  excusable 
digression,  from  the  regular  course  of  this  narrative,  to 
snatch  from  the  perishing  records,  in  which  their  deeds 
are  chronicled,  some  memorials  of  men,  who  were 
representatives  and  embodiments  of  prevailing  ideas  of 
their  age.  They  were  of  that  class  of  adventurers  who 
have  achieved  so  much  for  the  Southwest,  the  Valley 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  State  of  Louisiana,  by  giving 
practical  effect  to  the  principle,  that  every  people  have 
the  right  to  possess  and  control  the  country  which  they 
occupy  and  cultivate,  free  from  foreign  domination.  In 
that  age  they  were  called  Liberators  and  Patriots ;  now 
they  might  be  denounced  as  "  Pirates  and  Fillibus- 
teros."  One  of  them  lived  to  see  his  design  consum- 
mated, and  those  who  were  instrumental  in  effecting  it, 
lauded  as  heroes  and  patriots.  The  other  died  too  soon, 
and  had  he  lived  to  a  much  greater  age,  would  still 
have  been  far  from  a  realization  of  the  dream,  which,  in 
his  youth,  he  prosecuted  with  so  much  enthusiasm  and 
earnestness.  The  field  of  the  ambition  and  labors  of  the 
one  was  the  Yalley  of  the  Mississippi ;  that  of  the  other 
was,  unfortunate,  ever  struggling,  ever  enslaved  Ire- 
land. ;• •;•*$  5 

Reuben  Kemper,  the  indomitable  enemy  of  Spanish 
dominion  in  America,  lived  to  see  the  last  remnant  of 
that  once  splendid  power  extinguished  on  this  con- 
tinent. 


TWO   NOTABLE   WARRIORS   AND   REVOLUTIONISTS.      275 

General  Humbert,  the  hero  and  chief  of  the  French 
expedition  which  aimed  at  the  establishment  of  Irish 
Independence  in  1798,  was  disappointed  in  his  early 
hopes  and  struggles,  but  lived  long  enough  to  see  his 
old  enemy  and  Ireland's  oppressor,  subjected  to  the 
bitterest  defeats  and  most  mortifying  disasters  that  ever 
fell  upon  that  proud  and  haughty  power. 

These  two  remarkable  men  met  for  the  first  time  on 
the  Plains  of  Chalmette.  Jackson  did  not  regard  them 
as  "  Pirates  and  Robbers,"  because  they  had  left  their 
own  countries  to  aid  an  oppressed  people  to  throw  off 
the  yoke  of  foreign  despots.  He  viewed  them  in  their 
true  light,  as  brave,  sincere,  reliable  men,  lovers  of 
liberty,  and  foes  of  despotism.  He  gave  them  his  con- 
fidence, and  entrusted  them  with  "  enterprises  of  great 
pith  and  moment."  They  never  failed  to  justify  this 
confidence. 

Reuben  Kemper  was  one  of  several  brothers  who 
were  born  in  Virginia,  and  early  emigrated  to  the 
"West.  Their  father  was  a  venerable  and  remarkable 
character.  He  was  a  Baptist  preacher,  no  less  dis- 
tinguished for  his  piety,  natural  eloquence,  and  all  the 
patriarchal  virtues,  than  for  his  imposing  figure,  his 
great  simpiicity  of  conduct  and  manners,  and  love  of 
frontier  life.  This  venerable  man  lived  to  a  great  old 
age,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  of  which 
State  he  was  an  early  settler.  He  had  seven  sons,  all 
youths  of  mark — of  extraordinary  strength,  courage  and 
daring.  Three  of  them,  Nathan,  Reuben  and  Samuel, 
settled  in  the  Mississippi  Territory,  near  Pinckeyville, 
adjacent  to  the  present  Louisiana  line,  which  then 
divided  the  territory  of  the  United  States  and  Spain. 
Their  strong  sense,  pleasing  address,  manly  carriage 


276          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS . 

and  intense  Americanism  soon  rendered  the  Kempers 
very  popular  and  influential  among  the  frontiersmen, 
as  well  those  settled  in  the  Spanish  colony  of  Florida, 
as  those  residing  in  the  Mississippi  Territory.  They 
were  the  leaders,  in  agitating  the  scheme  of  driving  the 
Spaniards  out  of  the  country,  and  claiming  Florida  as 
belonging  to  the  Americans  under  the  cession  of  1803. 
Henry  Clay,  in  his  first  speech  in  the  United  States 
Senate,  maintained  the  American  title  to  that  country, 
and  urged  the  Administration  of  Mr.  Madison  to  occupy 
it.  With  the  newly  acquired  territories  of  Louisiana 
and  Mississippi,  surrounding  three  sides  of  it,  the  iso- 
lated colony  of  Spain  certainly  presented  a  very  tempt- 
ing bait  to  American  ambition,  and  seemed  to  be  held 
by  his  Catholic  Majesty  out  of  sheer  obstinacy  or  pride. 
Several  plots  were  concocted  by  the  Kempers  and 
others,  to  revolutionize  this  colony,  and  forays  were 
made  by  them  into  the  Spanish  territory.  In  1805  they 
marched  with  forty  mounted  men,  armed  with  long 
rifles,  to  the  vicinity  of  Baton  Rouge ;  but  their 
approach  being  announced,  the  Spanish  Governor  pre- 
pared to  receive  them  in  such  force,  as  rendered  the 
attempt  too  serious  an  affair ;  they  therefore  returned  to 
Mississippi,  to  "  bide  their  time." 

At  last  the  Spanish  Governor  determined  to  nip  the 
conspiracy  in  the  bud,  by  seizing  the  chiefs,  and  making 
terrible  examples  of  them.  Accordingly  he  induced  a 
number  of  Americans,  by  promise  of  large  grants  of 
land,  to  proceed  in  a  body  into  the  Mississippi  Terri- 
tory, for  the  purpose  of  kidnapping  the  Kempers  and 
bringing  them  to  Baton  Rouge,  to  be  dealt  with 
according  to  Spanish  law.  The  party  were  armed  with 
guns  and  clubs,  and  consisted  of  a  dozen  white  persons 


TWO  NOTABLE   WARRIORS   AND   REVOLUTIONISTS.       277 

and  several  negroes.  They  entered  the  house  of  Nathan 
Kemper,  and  dragging  Reuben  from  his  bed  where  he 
was  sleeping,  beat  him  with  clubs  until  he  was  insensi- 
ble, and  then  tied  him.  They  also  dragged  Nathan 
from  the  side  of  his  wife,  who  received  some  blows  from 
their  clubs  in  the  scuffle,  and  after  beating  him  severely, 
secured  him  in  the  same  manner  in  which  Reuben  had 
been  treated.  The  brothers  asked,  "What  was  the 
meaning  of  this  outrage  ;  what  have  we  done?"  A 
voice  answered,  "  You  have  ruined  the  Spanish  country." 
They  were  then  gagged  with  sassafras  roots,  and  ropes 
tied  around  their  necks.  In  this  condition  they  were 
compelled  to  run  before  the  horses  of  the  kidnappers, 
who  held  the  ropes,  all  the  way  to  the  Spanish  line. 
Samuel  Kemper  was  soon  seized  and  treated  in  a  simi- 
lar manner,  being  beaten  with  clubs  and  dragged  for  a 
hundred  yards  by  a  rope  around  his  neck.  The  three 
brothers,  on  their  arrival  at  Tunica,  on  the  Mississippi 
river,  were  delivered  to  Colonel  Samuel  Alston,  on 
behalf  of  the  Spanish  Government,  who  placed  them  in 
a  boat  to  be  sent  to  Baton  Rouge.  They  were  tied  on 
their  backs  to  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  Dr.  Towles,  long 

*  O 

a  respected  citizen  of  Feliciana,  Louisiana,  hearing  of 
the  outrage,  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  hastened  to  the 
American  fort  at  Pointe  Coupee,  on  the  Louisiana  side, 
and  informed  Lieutenant  Wilson,  the  commander,  of  the 
circumstances.  But  as  there  were  many  boats  descend- 
ing the  river  at  this  time,  there  would  be  some  difficulty 
in  discovering  which  contained  the  captives.  This 
difficulty,  however,  was  removed  by  Reuben,  who,  as 
the  boat  neared  the  fort,  which  he  discovered  from  a 
glance  at  the  opposite  bank,  cried  out,  in  a  stentorian 
voice,  "  It  is  Reuben  Kemper  the  Spaniards  are  taking 


278          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

to  the  mines."  The  words  could  be  distinctly  heard  by 
the  garrison,  and  Wilson  immediately  ordered  out  a 
boat  with  an  armed  party,  by  whom  the  kidnappers 
were  arrested,  the  Kempers  released,  and  the  Spanish 
agents  delivered  over  to  the  authorities  of  the  United 
States  to  be  tried.  For  sometime,  so  great  was  the 
excitement  against  them,  that  they  had  to  be  guarded 
by  a  strong  military  force. 

The  subject  of  this  outrageous  kidnapping  was 
brought  before  Congress,  and  the  celebrated  John 
Randolph,  from  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs, 
reported  a  bill  to  raise  a  military  force  to  guard  the 
American  territory  and  repel  and  punish  Spanish 
aggressions.  It  was  not,  however,  acted  upon. 

This  outrage  upon  the  Kempers  hastened  the  revolu- 
tion which,  in  1810,  resulted  in  the  capture  of  Baton 
Rouge  and  the  entire  extinction  of  Spanish  power  on 
the  Mississippi  river.  The  Kempers  enjoyed  the  satis- 
faction of  making  a  triumphal  entry  into  the  town  from 
which  they  so  narrowly  escaped  being  sent  in  chains  to 
the  mines  of  Cuba. 

But  this  did  not  satisfy  their  revenge,  nor  obliterate 
the  recollection  of  the  insults  to  which  they  had  been 
subjected.  "With  great  perseverance  and  vigilance  they 
hunted,  one  by  one,  the  individuals  who  had  been 
engaged  in  the  kidnapping  outrage,  and  inflicted  upon 
them  the  severest  punishments.  Certainly,  if  men  were 
ever  justified  in  manifesting  the  passion  of  revenge,  the 
Kempers  were,  towards  those  cowardly  ruffians.  If 
their  mode  of  obtaining  such  satisfaction  appear  cruel 
and  brutal,  some  allowances  must  be  made  for  the  stern 
and  rough  habits  and  notions  of  frontier  life.  Reuben 
and  Samuel  Kemper  captured  Kneeland,  one  of  the  kid- 


TWO  NOTABLE  WAKRIOES  AND  REVOLUTIONISTS.      279 

nappers,  and  inflicted  npon  his  naked  back  one  hundred 
lashes,  then  one  hundred  more  for  their  brother  Nathan 
who  was  absent,  cut  off  his  ears  with  a  dull  knife,  and 
then  let  him  loose.  These  gory  trophies  of  their 
revenge  were  long  preserved  in  a  bottle  of  spirits  and 
hung  up  in  one  of  the  Kemper's  parlors.  Reuben 
caught  another  of  the  kidnappers,  named  Horton,  and 
chastised  him  as  long  as  his  strength  would  permit. 
Barker,  another,  was  seized  by  the  Kempers  at  the 
Court-house,  at  Fort  Adams  in  Mississippi,  under  the 
eyes  of  the  Judge,  and  nearly  flayed  alive.  Col.  Alston, 
who  commanded  the  Spanish  guard,  placed  over  the 
Kempers,  died  of  a  disease  contracted  by  lying  in  an 
open  boat,  to  avoid  the  attacks  of  the  injured  brother. 

Such  was  the  revenge  of  the  Kempers.  They  were 
not  yet  content.  Passing  from  individuals,  they  next 
directed  their  ire  and  vengeance  against  the  Spanish 
Government  which  had  authorized  and  directed  the 
outrage  against  them.  Reuben  proclaimed  at  Baton 
Rouge,  that  the  work  was  not  finished  ;  that  whilst  he 
lived  the  Spaniards  should  not  occupy  an  inch  of  the 
North  American  continent  in  peace.  He  accordingly 
got  up  an  expedition  against  the  Spanish  Fort  of  Mobile 
in  conjunction  with  Major  Kennedy,  Dr.  Holmes,  and 
other  adventurous  spirits.  This  enterprise  failed  by  the 
treachery  of  one  of  the  parties,  and  the  interference 
of  the  United  States  authorities.  Reuben  narrowly 
escaped  capture  on  that  occasion. 

It  was  not  long  before  another  opportunity  waa 
afforded  to  Kemper  of  gratifying  his  insatiate  hostility 
to  the  Spanish  race. 

In  1812,  there  arrived  in  the  United  States  an  astute 
Spaniard,  by  the  name  of  Jose  Alvarez  de  Toledo,  who, 


280  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

in  cooperation  with   Barnardo   Gutierrez,  a  Mexican, 
who  had  been  connected  with  the  revolution  in  that 
country  in  1808,  fled  to  the  United  States,  and  resided 
some  years  in  New  Orleans,  devised  a  plan  for  reviving 
the  revolution,  and  invading  and  detaching  that  portion 
of  Mexico,  which  is  now  included  in  the  State  of  Texas. 
JReuben  Kemper  was  sought  as  the  most  efficient  per- 
son to  organize  an  American  party  to  execute  this  plan. 
He  eagerly  accepted  the   commission,  and  aided  by 
Colonel  Magee,  succeeded  in  assembling  at  "Washington, 
in  the  State  of  Mississippi,  a  force  of  four  hundred  and 
fifty  Americans.     Col.  Magee  was  the  real  commander, 
Gutierrez  was  the  ostensible  chief,  and  Toledo  acted  as 
political  adviser  and  director.     Kemper  was  second  in 
command  under  Magee.     This  expedition  entered  Texas 
in   October,   1812,   and   after   capturing   Nacogdoches 
pushed  on  to  La  Bahia  del  Espirito,  now  called  Goliad, 
which  has  since  become  so  mournfully  famous  as  the 
scene  of  the  brutal  massacre  and  desperate  courage  of 
some  of  the  noblest  martyrs  in  the  cause  of  Texan  inde- 
pendence.    Here  the  expedition  was  surrounded  and 
besieged  by  a  strong  Spanish  force  under  Salcedo  and 
Herrera.     This  siege,  which  was  continued  for  several 
months,  was  enlivened  by  many  skirmishes  between  the 
hostile  armies,  in  all  of  which  the  stalwart  form  of 
Kemper  was  conspicuous.     Many  a  swarthy  Spaniard 
fell  before  his  unerring  rifle,  or  sunk  to  the  earth  under 
the   crushing   blows  of  his  sabre.     His  love  of  these 
rencontres  was  insatiable.     He  led  in  person  twenty- 
seven  sallies  against  the   besiegers,  and  always  with 
dreadful  effect.     In  the  last  of  these  skirmishes,  there 
were  two  hundred  Spaniards  killed.     Finding  all  their 
efforts  to  reduce  the  garrison  vain,  the  Spanish  Generals 


TWO   NOTABLE   WAKRIOK8   AND   EEVOLTJTIONISTS.       281 

suddenly  retreated,  whereupon  Kemper,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded to  the  command  of  the  expedition  by  the  death 
of  Magee,  marched  out,  and  following  rapidly  upon  the 
retiring  Spaniards,  fell  suddenly  upon  them,  with  such 
vigor  and  fury  as  nearly  to  annihilate  the  united  armies 
of  Salcedo  and  Herrera,  strewing  the  field  far  and  wide 
with  the  victims  of  the  American  rifle  and  hunting- 
knife.  On  this  occasion  Kemper  slew  several  of  the 
Spaniards  with  his  own  hand.  Four  hundred  Spaniards 
were  killed  in  this  affair,  and  a  great  many  prisoners 
taken.  The  Americans  lost  but  five  killed  and  fourteen 
wounded. 

The  Spanish  Generals  now  fled  in  terror  with  the 
remnant  of  their  force  to  San  Antonio,  which  they 
fortified.  Gutierrez  and  Kemper  followed  them  with 
their  little  band  of  warriors,  and  occupied  a  position 
near  the  town.  So  intense  was  the  terror  of  the  Spa- 
niards, who  were  greatly  superior  in  numbers,  of  the 
invincible  valor  and  ferocity  of  the  enemy,  led  by  the 
"  giant  warrior,"  that  they  surrendered  on  th0  first 
demand  sent  to  them  by  Gutierrez.  Accordingly,  on 
the  31st  March,  1812,  the  Spanish  Generals  walked 
out  of  the  town,  into  the  camp  of  Gutierrez,  bearing  a 
white  flag,  and  offered  to  surrender  on  the  single  condi- 
tion that  their  lives  were  spared.  Gutierrez,  who  was 
full  of  revenge  towards  the  Spaniards,  for  their  cruelty 
to  Morelos  and  other  Mexican  patriots,  made  an  evasive 
reply,  conveying  an  intimation  that  their  request  would 
be  granted.  The  Spaniards  then  surrendered  at  discre- 
tion. Having  delivered  up  their  swords,  they  were 
secured  between  files  of  soldiers,  and  marching  in  front 
of  Gutierrez's  army,  crossed  the  river,  and  were  safely 
lodged  in  the  Alamo,  which,  in  1836,  became  the  cradle 


282          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

of  Texan  liberty,  and  the  scene  of  prodigies  of  American 
valor.  Gutierrez  then  entered  the  town  of  San  Antonio 
and  established  a  Provincial  Government  there,  which 
he  called  a  Junta.  The  first  act  of  the  Junta  was  to 
try  the  Spanish  prisoners.  They  were  condemned  to  be 
banished  from  the  country.  But  whilst  they  were  in 
charge  of  a  guard,  a  party  of  sixty  Mexicans,  in  com- 
mand of  Capt.  Antonio  Delgado,  suddenly  seized  them, 
and  dragging  the  unfortunate  prisoners  to  the  bank  of 
the  Saledo,  carried  them  over  in  boats.  Arriving  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river,  near  the  spot  where  Kemper 
had  achieved  his  brilliant  victory,  Delgado's  party 
hastily  dismounted  from  their  horses,  and  with  no  other 
weapons  but  their  blunt  knives,  which  these  monsters 
carried  in  their  girdles  for  camp  use,  they  cut  the 
throats  of  their  prisoners,  accompanying  the  cruel  deed 
with  every  species  of  insult  and  indignity.  "  Some  of 
these  assassins,  with  brutal  irony,"  says  a  writer  who 
lived  near  the  scene  of  the  occurrence,  "whetted  their 
knives  on  the  soles  of  their  shoes  in  the  presence  of  their 
bound  victims."  This  same  writer  saw  this  band  of 
murderers  the  following  day,  led  by  the  chief,  halt  in 
front  of  the  quarters  of  Gutierrez,  and  announce  to  the 
latter  what  they  had  done.  At  the  same  time,  Delgado 
placed  in  Gutierrez's  hand  a  list  of  the  fourteen  victims, 
which  included  two  Governors,  and  Generals  Salcedo 
and  Hererra,  one  Colonel,  six  Captains,  and  five  other 
officers.  Delgado's  men,  in  the  meantime,  suspended 
from  their  saddles  pieces  of  bloody  garments  and  jewelry 
— trophies  of  their  cowardly  brutality.  That  Gutierrez 
was  privy  to  this  outrageous  deed,  was  proved,  not  only 
by  the  facts  stated,  but  by  a  subsequent  confession,  in 
which,  after  denying  any  direct  agency  in  the  murder 


TWO   NOTABLE  WARRIOBS   AND   REVOLUTIONISTS.       283 

of  the  prisoners,  he  added,  "God  thus  permitted  their 
death  as  a  signal  punishment  of  the  barbarities  which 
these  unfortunate  victims  had  previously  perpetrated." 
Tims  the  Mexican  chief,  who  shared  none  of  the  laurels 
of  the  brilliant  victories  achieved  over  the  Spaniards, 
satisfied  himself  by  monopolizing  all  the  infamy  with 
which  this  expedition  must  ever  be  associated.  We  are 
thus  minute  in  recording  these  facts  because  the  inci- 
dent is  an  interesting  one,  which  is  barely  glanced  at  in 
the  histories  of  the  country  ;  and  because  it  furnishes  an 
illustration  of  the  character  of  Reuben  Kemper.  Though 
fierce  and  unsparing  in  battle,  Kemper  abhorred  all 
cruelty  and  cowardly  brutality.  The  murder  of  the 
Spaniards,  in  cold  blood,  produced  in  the  mind  of  that 
gallant  chief  the  most  profound  disgust  for  the  race, 
and  after  denouncing  the  conduct  of  Gutierrez,  he 
resigned,  and  with  several  other  Americans  returned  to 
the  United  States. 

When  New  Orleans  was  threatened,  and  the  call  sent 
forth  for  soldiers  to  defend  the  city,  Kemper  joined  the 
Feliciana  Dragoons,  and  was  among  the  first  volunteers 
who  arrived  in  the  city.  His  experience  and  cool 
courage  recommended  him  to  General  Jackson,  as  the 
leader  in  many  important  and  dangerous  scouting  enter- 
prises and  reconnoissances,  which  he  invariably  exe- 
cuted with  consummate  address  and  courage.  On 
several  occasions  he  penetrated  the  British  lines  with  a 
select  party  of  bush-fighters,  and  reported  to  Jackson  the 
condition  and  movements  of  the  enemy.  The  General 
was  constantly  apprehensive  that  the  British  would  steal 
up  the  Bayou  Bienvenu,  through  its  northern  branch, 
and  gaining  his  rear,  enter  the  city  by  the  Gentilly 
Kidge.  There  were  continual  rumors  and  alarms  of 


284:  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

such  a  design.  To  ascertain  the  truth,  Kemper  was 
sent  with  twenty  men  to  reconnoitre  their  position  at 
the  junction  of  Bayous  Mazant  and  Bienvenu,  the  most 
important  point  along  the  line  of  the  British  communi- 
cations. It  was  here  the  British  had  stepped  ashore 
from  their  boats.  The  enterprise  was  one  of  the  great- 
est peril,  as  it  compelled  Kemper  to  separate  his  party 
a  great  distance  from  the  American  outposts,  and 
carried  him  into  the  very  centre  of  the  British  lines. 
It  was,  however,  performed  with  no  less  success  than 
daring,  under  perils  and  fatigues  which  would  have 
appalled  any  other  man.  The  results  were  of  immense 
advantage  to  Jackson,  in  quieting  all  apprehensions  of 
the  approach  of  the  enemy  in  that  direction,  who,  in 
truth,  were  equally  fearful  of  being  cut  off  from  the 
fleet  and  depot,  by  a  sudden  assault  of  their  indefatig- 
able antagonists.  To  guard  against  this,  they  burned 
the  prairies  in  front  of  a  redoubt  which  they  had  thrown 
up  at  the  head  of  the  Bayou,  where  their  principal 
magazine  was  established  and  a  strong  guard  posted. 
Sentinels  stationed  in  the  tops  of  the  trees,  were  scat- 
tered along  the  Bayou,  to  observe  the  approach  of  any 
parties  across  the  prairie.  Many  similar  enterprises  were 
performed  by  this  gallant  man.  No  individual  in  Jack- 
son's whole  army,  performed  more  efficient  service. 

Kemper  survived  these  events  many  years,  pursuing 
a  life  of  peaceful  industry  in  one  of  the  parishes  of 
Louisiana.  After  the  defeat  of  the  Spaniards,  and  the 
extinction  of  their  power  on  this  continent,  and  the 
repulse  of  the  British,  his  military  ambition  subsided 
into  a  quiet  love  of  rural  life,  and  a  faithful  devotion  to 
all  the  duties  of  a  good  citizen.  He  died  at  Natchez 
about  the  year  1826,  and  was  buried  with  military, 


TWO   NOTABLE    WARRIORS    AND   REVOLUTIONISTS.       285 

honors  by  that  gallant  corps,  the  Natchez  Fencibles, 
then  commanded  by  John  A.  Quitman,  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  of  the  Generals  of  the  Mexican  war  of 
1848,  and  who  shares  many  of  those  chivalric  ideas, 
which  led  Reuben  Kemper  to  abandon  peaceful  pur- 
suits and  incur  the  most  serious  perils  and  sacrifices  in 
the  execution  of  the  cherished  sentiment,  that  this  con- 
tinent was  the  rightful  heritage  of  the  great  race  which 
alone  has  succeeded  in  establishing  here  durable  and 
enlightened  institutions,  and  improving  the  civilization 
of  the  Old  in  the  New  World.  We  are  not  sure  that 
the  last-mentioned  chieftain  is  altogether  free  from  the 
bitter  prejudice  which  marked  the  life  of  Kemper 
against  the  Power  that  now  concentrates  upon  Cuba  the 
despotism  that  once  lorded  over  half  of  the  American 
iontinent. 

Kemper  died,  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 
Indeed,  he  was  a  man  to  be  respected  anywhere.  Of 
gigantic  frame,  noble,  open  countenance,  frank  and 
gallant  bearing,  kind  and  courteous,  but  firm,  and, 
when  aroused  by  a  sense  of  injury,  fierce  and  vindictive, 
ardently  patriotic  and  uncompromising  in  his  Ameri- 
canism, a  practical  devotee  to  the  doctrine  of  the  duty 
of  all  freemen  to  aid  in  expanding  the  area  of  liberty, 
and  a  firm  believer  in  "  the  manifest  destiny  "  of  the 
American  race,  to  possess  and  rule  this  continent, 
Reuben  Kemper  will  long  be  remembered  as  the  type 
and  model  of  that  class  of  men,  who  have  rescued  the 
vast  and  teeming  valley  of  the  Mississippi  from  the 
roaming  savages,  and  from  the  weak  hands  of  a  declin-" 
ing  and  foreign  dynasty,  and  made  it  the  scene  of  a 
great  confederacy  and  empire  which  is  destined  to  out- 
shine old  Rome  in  wealth,  greatness,  and  power. 


286  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

There  was  another  prominent  volunteer  chief  and 
leader  in  many  perilous  enterprises,  who,  having  no 
regular  command,  rendered  himself  conspicuous  for  his 
conduct  and  gallantry,  in  detached  scouting  and  recon- 
noitering  service,  as  well  as  highly  useful  to  Jackson, 
in  many  of  the  more  important  arrangements,  that 
required  a  knowledge  of  military  service  and  art.  This 
was  Gen.  Humbert,  the  victor  of '  Castlebar,  and  leader 
of  that  desperate  and  chivalric  expedition  from  France 
to  Ireland  in  1798.  The  life  of  Humbert  possessed  one 
prominent  point  of  similarity  with  that  of  Kemper,  in 
the  fact  that  both  had  been  engaged  in  the  most  daring 
efforts  to  revolutionize  foreign  States,  which  had  signal- 
ized their  era.  They  were  alike,  too,  in  the  qualities  of 
unflinching  courage,  dauntless  resolution  and  fearless 
love  of  adventure.  But  here  the  similitude  ends. 
Their  military  ideas  were  quite  antagonistic,  their 
habits  and  tastes  dissimilar.  Humbert  was  a  stem 
soldier,  familiar  with  the  routine,  as  practised  in  the  best 
disciplined  armies,  a  firm  believer  in  the  potency  of 
science,  as  applied  to  the  conduct  of  war,  an  exacting 
martinet  in  all  the  rules  and  punctilios  of  the  profession. 
Kemper  was  a  natural  warrior,  trained  in  the  rough 
scenes  of  border  life,  accustomed  to  rely  on  individual 
courage  and  skill.  Humbert  confided  in  the  touch  of 
the  elbow  of  disciplined  troops.  Kemper  in  the  rifle 
and  hunting-knife  of  the  backwoodsman,  fighting  on  his 
own  hook.  Their  appearance  indicated  their  dissimilar 
tastes  and  ideas.  Kemper  was  tall  and  rawboned,  of 
long  limbs,  slouching  carriage,  swinging  his  arms  about 
with  that  air  of  independence  and  indifference,  peculiar 
to  the  backwoodsman.  His  apparel  was  coarse,  badly 
fitting  and  badly  worn.  There  was  in  his  whole  bear- 


TWO   NOTABLE   WARRIORS    AND   REVOLUTIONISTS.      287 

ing,  an  almost  studied  contempt  for  effect  and  military 
display  and  fashion.  Humbert  was  a  stout,  squarely 
and  compactly  built  man,  of  the  most  rectangular  up- 
rightness of  carriage  and  rigid  exactitude  of  movement. 
His  air  was  thoroughly  military,  and  his  dress  neat  and 
well  fitting.  To  the  day  of  his  last  sickness,  he  never 
abandoned  the  old  uniform  of  the  General  of  the  French 
Republic.  It  is  within  the  recollection  of  many,  now 
in  the  bloom  of  life,  what  a  great  sensation  the  veteran 
General  was  wont  to  excite  among  the  residents  of  the 
old  Square  of  the  city,  as  every  day  at  noon,  clad  in  the 
same  old,  well  preserved,  military  frock,  with  the  cha- 
peau  of  the  French  Revolution  on  his  head,  and  the 
sword  of  a  General  under  his  arm,  he  would  march  with 
all  the  port  and  precision  of  an  officer  on  duty,  to  an 
ancient  cafe  kept  by  an  old  comrade  in  arms,  on  the 
levee,  near  the  French  Market.  On  arriving  at  the  cafe, 
he  would  salute  his  old  comrade  witli  a  grand  air  mtti- 
taire,  and  then  laying  his  sword  on  the  table,  would 
proceed  leisurely  to  arrange  the  dominoes  for  a  game  at 
that  very  quiet,  favorite  diversion  of  elderly  Frenchmen, 
with  any  lounger  who  might  happen  to  be  present.  A 
glass  of  cogniac,  frequently  replenished  by  his  faithful 
friend  and  host,  would  serve  to  give  spirit  to  the  game. 
Thus  would  the  veteran  spend  the  greater  part  of  the 
day,  now  and  then  relieving  its  tedium  by  vivacious 
conversation  and  exciting  reminiscences  exchanged  with 
Ilis  admiring  comrade,  until  his  prolonged  potations, 
producing  their  usual  effect,  would  arouse  him  to  more 
active  but  less  dignified  demonstrations  of  his  natural 
ardor  and  military  enthusiasm.  Then  he  would  appear 
in  the  character  which  attracted  the  admiration  and 
curiosity  of  the  little  Creole  boys,  who,  fired  with  mill- 


288          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

tary  pride  and  ambition,  would  regard  with  intense  inte- 
rest "  le  grand  General  de  la  Republique  Franpaise"  as, 
flourishing  his  sword,  he  walked  down  the  streets,  shout- 
ing at  the  top  of  a  powerful  voice,  snatches  of  the  Mar- 
seillaise and  of  the  Chant  du  Depart,  and  other  revolu- 
tionary airs. 

Alas!  the  poor  old  Gaul  had  outlived  his  generation. 
He  had  descended  from  times  of  military  emprise  and 
ambition  to  an  era  of  trade  and  money-scrambling. 
Mammon  had  long  since  displaced  Mars  in  the  world 
around  him.  If,  thus  isolated  from  the  bustling  crowd, 
he  was  driven  to  the  use  of  that  oblivious  antidote,  by 
which  the  gloomy  present  could  be  momentarily  ban- 
ished, and  the  glorious  past,  with  all  its  exciting  scenes 
and  noble  associations,  brought  vividly  to  mind,  due 
allowance  must  be  made  for  the  weakness  which  circum- 
stances forced  upon  a  gallant  and  sturdy  old  soldier 
who  in  his  day  had  played  a  conspicuous  part  in  events 
of  great  moment.  Yes,  that  old  soldier,  who  died  twenty 
years  ago  in  poverty  and  destitution,  who  was  indebted 
to  an  old  quadroon  woman  for  his  only  attendance  in 
sickness,  and  was  buried  at  the  public  expense,  had 
once  been  a  proud  General  of  the  French  Republic  in 
its  palmy  days.  To  him  was  entrusted  the  command  of 
the  expedition  to  emancipate  Ireland  from  English  rule, 
in  1798.  A  more  desperate  enterprise  was  never  con- 
ceived. Its  character,  events  and  results  have  found  a 
parallel  in  the  expedition  of  Narcisco  Lopez  to  Cuba,  in 
1851.  For  a  long  time  this  design  had  occupied  the 
most  anxious  deliberations  of  the  French  Republic. 
The  presence  in  Paris  of  several  prominent  Irish  patriots 
served  to  keep  alive  this  feeling  and  encourage  the  plan 
of  striking  "  perfide  ATMon"  in  this  her  weakest  point 


TWO   NOTABLE   WABKIOR3   AND   REVOLUTIONISTS.      289 

The  French  never  doubted  the  assurance  that  the  Irish 
were  united  and  harmonious  in  their  devotion  to  repub- 
lican liberty ;  that  they  were  as  hostile  to  the  British 
dynasty  as  the  French  were  to  the  Bourbon  rule.  Vari- 
ous plans  of  invasion  were  proposed,  and  great  prepara- 
tions were  made  to  carry  them  out.  Failure  upon  fail- 
ure, disaster  after  disaster  followed,  and  frustrated  all 
the  efforts  of  the  Irish  patriots  to  organize  an  efficient 
expedition  to  proceed  from  France.  One  great  difficulty 
was  to  obtain  a  leader  in  the  French  army  of  sufficient 
experience  and  prestige  to  take  charge  of  such  an  expe- 
dition. They  were  all  willing  to  go  with  a  large  army, 
but  none  would  venture  with  a  mere  experimental  force. 
It  was  in  vain  the  Irish  patriots  Tone  and  Sullivan 
represented  that  the  Irish  people  were  united  in  the 
cause  ;  that  they  only  needed  a  small  disciplined  force 
and  arms  to  give  direction  to  their  unconquerable  ardor; 
that  a  large  army  might  either  create  that  jealousy  which 
all  people  are  prone  to  feel  towards  foreigners,  even  when 
acting  as  allies,  or  might  induce  an  entire  dependence 
upon  a  force  which  they  regarded  as  sufficient  to  accom- 
plish the  object  without  their  aid;  that  a  people,  to 
appreciate  their  independence,  must  achieve  it  them- 
selves. These  are  precisely  the  arguments  which  encour- 
aged and  emboldened  the  companions  of  Narcisco  Lopez 
in  his  expedition  to  Cuba,  in  1851. 

France  was  then  (in  1798)  crippled  in  power  and 
means,  with  the  Old  "World  arrayed  in  arms  against  her, 
and  constantly  threatened  with  internal  revolution, 
changes  and  discord.  About  this  time,  too,  the  Direc- 
tory, composed  as  it  then  was  of  a  more  philosophic  and 
conservative  class  of  republicans  than  had  wielded  the 
destinies  of  the  nation  for  some  years  before,  began  to 

13 


290          JACK60N  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

adopt  a  more  pacific  and  prudent  policy.  Still  it  could 
not  hazard  its  popularity  by  discouraging,  even  if  it  did 
not  afford  material  aid,  to  the  enterprise  of  liberating 
"  oppressed  Ireland."  Officers  and  soldiers  of  the  army 
were,  therefore,  allowed  to  volunteer  for  the  expedition, 
and  arms  and  munitions  were  furnished  to  them.  At 
this  moment,  Humbert  stepped  forward  to  volunteer  to 
lead  this  forlorn  hope.  He  had  served  with  distinction 
on  the  Rhine,  under  Pichegru,  Moreau,  and  Dumourier, 
and  was  an  officer  of  acknowledged  courage  and  energy. 
Repairing  to  Rochelle,  he  immediately  set  to  work,  in 
conjunction  with  the  Irish  patriots,  Tone-,  Teeling,  and 
Sullivan,  to  organize  an  army  out  of  a  heterogeneous  mass 
of  adventurers,  who  had  assembled  there,  composed  of 
straggling  French  soldiers,  Irish  volunteers,  British 
deserters,  and  a  few  earnest  enthusiasts  in  the  cause  of 
universal  freedom  and  republicanism.  To  obtain  money 
and  supplies  for  the  expedition,  Humbert  was  driven^ to 
the  expedient  of  a  military  requisition  on  the  merchants 
of  Rochelle,  who  were  glad  enough  to  pay  an  illegal  tax 
to  be  rid  of  so  discordant  and  adventurous  a  force. 
After  a  thousand  annoyances,  difficulties,  and  troubles, 
being  compelled  to  shoot  several  of  his  men  to  enforce 
discipline,  Humbert  succeeded  in  sailing  out  of  the  port 
of  Rochelle  with  his  motley  band  of  liberators.  The 
Irish  triumvirate,  as  they  were  called — Tone,  Teeling, 
and  Sullivan — accompanied  him.  They  were  in  the 
highest  spirits,  and  almost  certain  of  victory  and  suc- 
cess. They  were  assured  that  the  people  of  Ireland 
were  ripe  for  a  revolution,  which  was  to  rid  the  green 
isle  of  the  Saxon.-  So  confident  were  they  of  this  result, 
that  the  future  government  of  the  island,  the  whole 
organization  of  its  civil  administration,  had  been  discus- 


TWO  NOTABLE   WARKIOKS   AND   REVOLUTIONISTS.      291 

sed  and  carefully  digested  and  prepared.  They  looked 
even  beyond  this.  When  they  had  gajned  their  inde- 
pendence, and  extorted  security  for  the  future,  they 
would  next  demand  indemnity  for  the  past.  They  would 
require  the  West  India  islands  as  compensation  for 
the  woe  and  poverty  which  English  misrule  had  brought 
on  the  island.  Humbert  was  impulsive,  enthusias- 
tic, and  credulous.  He  could  not  doubt  such  earnest 
assurances  of  his  Irish  confederates.  He  hated  England 
with  intense  earnestness.  Treachery,  falsehood,  pride, 
avarice,  grasping  covetousness,  and  reckless  brutality, 
were  the  characteristics  lie  assigned  to  the  English. 
Despite  these  feelings,  however,  doubts  would  frequently 
cloud  the  bright  prospects  of  the  expedition,  so  glowingly 
painted  by  the  voluble  and  enthusiastic  Irish.  His  im- 
pressions of  the  character,  of  his  allies  were  not  elevated 
by  an  observation  of  the  -conduct  of  those  engaged  m 
the  expedition.  Still,  he  was  embarked  in  the  enter- 
prise, and  determined  to  prosecute  it  with  courage  and 
energy. 

Humbert  effected  a  landing  at  Killala,  on  the  southern 
coast  of  Ireland,  in  August,  1T98.  His  force  consisted 
of  less  than  a  thousand  men,  including  a  battalion  of 
good  French  soldiers  well  officered.  At  Killala,  he 
arrested  the  Protestant  Bishop,  and  detained  him  as  a 
prisoner,  treating  him  with  a  respect  and  courtesy  which 
did  not  please  the  excited  and  wild  mob  of  peasants  that 
soon  began  to  pour  into  the  town,  greatly  perplexing 
,  and  embarrassing  his  arrangements,  rather  than  adding 
to  his  strength  and  resources.  Ignorant  of  their  lan- 
guage, their  peculiarities  and  customs,  Humbert  was 
almost  driven  mad  by  the  turbulent  and  unruly  charac- 
ter of  his  confederates — the  oppressed  race  which  he  had 


292          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

come  to  liberate.  They  set  at  defiance  all  military  sub- 
ordination anda  discipline,  and  even  ridiculed  the  stiff 
carriage  and  neat  appearance  of  the  French  regulars. 
When  the  officers  assumed  any  control  over  them,  they 
rolled  their  eyes,  pouted  their  lips,  and  cracked  many  a 
joke  at  the  impudence  of  the  "  interloping  foreigners." 
At  last,  however,  having  by  dint  of  superhuman 
efforts,  reduced  his  command  to  something  like  order, 
Humbert  commenced  his  march  into  the  country.  His 
battalion  of  regulars  advanced  in  military  order,  but  it 
was  flanked,  followed  and  surrounded  by  the  disorderly 
host  of  wild-looking,  ragged  peasants,  with  their  long 
uncombed  hair  hanging  down  their  necks  and  shoul- 
ders, barefooted,  with  signs  of  starvation,  of  poverty, 
misery,  and  oppression,  in  their  countenance,  carriage, 
and  habiliments.  And  yet,  they  were  full  of  enthusiasm 
and  patriotism,  and  marched  gaily  along,  swearing,  hur- 
raing, singing  in  the  exuberance  of  their  joy  and  hope 
of  the  rescue  of  "  Sweet  Ireland"  from  the  vile  Saxon. 
Nor  was  patriotism  their  only  inspiration  on  this  occa- 
sion. "Whisky,  the  inseparable  concomitant  of  all  such 
enterprises,  was  an  important  element  and  agent  of  the 
revolution.  Its  importance  in  this  respect  is  appreciated 
even  in  this-  enlightened  age.  The  patriots  of  Killala 
celebrated  their  imaginary  independence,  as  too  many 
Americans  do  that  real  independence  which  was  declared 
on  the  4th  July,  1776,  by  getting  drunk  and  falling  by 
the  road-side,  so  that  Humbert's  advance  was  marked  by 
the  bodies  of  the  victims  of  alcohol,  rather  than  by 
those  of  the  perfidious  Saxons  whom  he  had  come  to 
annihilate.  -Ammunition  carts  were  loaded  with  whis- 
ky barrels,  and  at  every  halt  there  was  a  general  biba- 
tion.  Mingled  with  the  men,  who  thus  encumbered 


TWO   NOTABLE   WAKEIOR8   AND   REVOLUTIONISTS.       293 

Humbert's  march,  were  many  women  and  children. 
The  small,  regular,  compact  body  of  disciplined  soldiers, 
looked  even  smaller  from  being  enveloped  by  such  a 
rabble.  They  were  perplexed  and  astounded  at  the  con- 
duct of  their  allies — of  patriots,  who  would  bear  no 
restraint,  submit  to  no  discipline,  who  all  wanted  to  be 
officers,  chiefs,  and  leaders,  who  sneered  at  the  generous 
devotion  of  their  allies,  and  frowned  on  any  assumption 
of  authority  by  them.  Humbert  saw  at  a  glance  the 
folly  and  hopelessness  of  the  enterprise. 

"  "We  shall  all  be  taken,  and  probably  shot,"  he 
remarked  to  his  aid  ;  "  but  then  France  will  be  commit- 
ted to  the  enterprise,  and  will  be  bound  to  avenge  us.  So 
Vive  la  Repvfolique  !  Vive  la  Republique  !  En  avant! 
En  avant  /" 

And  thus  the  enthusiastic  and  heroic  Frenchman 
advanced  rapidly  towards  Castlebar.  Here  he  encoun- 
tered a  considerable  force  of  royalists,  strongly  posted 
with  artillery.  The  French  battalion  steadily  advanced 
on  the  royalists,  but  a  few  discharges  of  the  English  guns 
scattered  in  every  direction  Humbert's  auxiliaries. 
Charging  gallantly  with  his  Frenchmen,  Humbert  suc- 
ceeded in  putting  the  royalists  to  flight  with  considera- 
ble loss,  and  achieved  a  brilliant  and  decided  victory. 
He  then  made  a  triumphal  entry  into  the  town  of  Cas- 
tlebar. Here  he  was  joined  in  greatly  augmented  num- 
bers by  the  peasantry  of  the  country,  who  with  scythes, 
pikes,  and  every  rude  weapon  imaginable,  crowded  into 
the  town  and  made  it  hideous  with  their  wild  revelry. 
They  imagined  that  the  last  blow  had  been  struck,  and 
that  Ireland  was  now  free.  Humbert  was  compelled 
to  tarry  here  for  the  reinforcements  daily  and  hourly 
expected  from  France.  These  reinforcements  were 


994  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

rapidly  proceeding  to  Killala,  but  unfortunately  the  fleet 
under  Bompard,  which  was  conveying  them,  was 
attacked  in  the  Bay  of  Killala  by  the  squadron  of  Sir 
John  Warren,  and  entirely  destroyed.  Thus  was  Hum- 
bert's last  hope  annihilated. 

Meantime,  Lord  Cornwallis,  with  a  powerful  army, 
was  gradually  surrounding  Humbert,  as  he  himself  had 
been  surrounded  by  the  French  and  Americans  at  York- 
town,  Virginia,  some  fifteen  years  before.  As  the 
rumors  of  the  approach  of  the  British  began  to  thicken 
upon  him,  Humbert  observed  his  allies  rapidly  falling 
off,  and  slinking  oui,  of  the  town,  until  at  last  he  was  left 
in  the  village  of  Boyle  with  his  French  veterans,  and  a 
fow  of  the  Irish  leaders  who  were  too  far  committed  to 
retreat.  Humbert  called  a  council  of  his  officers,  and 
proposed  to  fight  it  out,  offering  themselves  a  sacrifice 
on  the  altar  of  Irish  independence.  His  officers,  who 
had  been  disgusted  with  the  enterprise  from  their  land- 
ing and  first  acquaintance  with  their  allies,  were  not  so 
enthusiastic  and  devoted.  Under  their  advice  he  deter- 
mined to  surrender.  Accordingly,  Lord  Cornwallis  had 
the  satisfaction  of  receiving  the  sword  of  the  French 
general,  an  event  well  calculated  to  remind  that  distin- 
guished Briton  of  a  memorable  scene  in  his  own  military 
history.  Humbert  was  released  on  parole,  and  finding 
no  prospect  for  promotion  in  France,  came  with  many 
other  soldiers  of  the  old  French  Republican  school, 
whose  republicanism  was  of  too  earnest  and  uncompro- 
mising a  character  for  Napoleon's  views,  to  New  Orleans. 

When  Jackson  arrived,  in  1814,  to  assume  the  defence 
of  the  city,  Humbert  was  one  of  the  first  to  tender  his 
services  as  a  volunteer.  He  proved  eminently  servicea- 
ble during  the  campaign.  Having  no  regular  command, 


TWO   NOTABLE  WAERIOES   AND   REVOLUTIONISTS.       295 

he  was  always  ready  for  any  detached  service,  how 
perilous  and  difficult  soever  it  might  be.  Mounted  on  a 
large  black  charger,  it  was  his  custom  every  day  to 
emerge  from  the  American  lines,  and  trotting  down  the 
road  to  a  point  within  musket-shot  of  the  British  outposts, 
to  take  a  deliberate  observation  of  their  camp  through 
a  field  glass ;  after  completing  which,  he  would  wheel 
his  horse  and  leisurely  return  to  the  American  encamp- 
ment, disregarding  the  balls,  which  frequently  rained 
around  him  from  the  British  batteries,  and  report  to 
Jackson  the  exact  condition  of  the  enemy's  camp.  For 
these  and  other  services,  Humbert  was  highly  compli- 
mented in  Jackson's  dispatches.  The  old  Frenchman, 
in  return,  declared  that  Jackson  was  worthy  to  have 
commanded  in  the  army  of  the  Rhine — which  distinction 
was  alone  necessary  to  complete  his  military  greatness 
and  .renown.  But  though  thus  eulogistic  of  Jackson,  the 
veteran  did  not  include  in  his  good  opinion  the  mass  of 
the  soldiers  whom  Jackson  had  the  "  misfortune  to  com- 
mand." He  could  never  be  persuaded  that  the  rude, 
dusky,  awkward,  slouching,  bush-fighters  from  Tennes- 
see, with  their  careless,  unmilitary  carriage,  their  reck- 
less, undisciplined,  barbarian  style  of  fighting,  could  be 
converted  into  soldiers.  What  particularly  annoyed 
him,  was  the  habit  these  "  sauvages"  had  of  thinking  for 
themselves — discussing  the  merits  of  their  officers  and 
the  expediency  of  orders  from  their  commanders,  and 
assuming  to  reason  and  judge  when  their  only  duty  was 
to  act  and  obey.  A  disagreeable  illustration  of  this 
habit  was  brought  home  to  the  general  on  a  certain 
occasion,  when,  being  ordered  out  for  a  reconnoissance 
with  a  detachment  of  Coffee's  men,  he  brought  them 
under  the  severe  fire  of  a  British  redoubt — whereupon 


296          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

these  independent,  self-thinking  soldiers,  not  relishing  or 
appreciating  the  necessity  of  losing  their  lives  in  so  . 
unprofitable  an  undertaking,  quietly  wheeled  their 
horses  and  returned  to  the  lines,  leaving  the  veteran 
cursing  and  swearing  in  the  field,  amid  a  shower  of 
British  shot.  When  Humbert  reported  this  "  infamous 
conduct"  to  General  Jackson,  the  General  could  not 
refrain  from  a  smile — but  seeing  one  of  the  men  of  the 
detachment  near  hia.quarters,  he  called  him,  and  frown- 
ingly  asked,  "  Why  did  you  run  away?"  "  Wall,  gene- 
ral," replied  the  bush-fighter,  "  not  understanding 
French,  and  believing  our  commander  was  a  man  of 
sense,  we  construed  his  orders  to  retire  out  of  the  reach 
of  the  cannon  balls,  and  so  we  just  kinder  counter- 
marched." The  General  had  much  difficulty  in  inter- 
preting this  excuse  to  Humbert,  who  shook  his  head, 
and  continued  to  the  day  of  his  death  profoundly  skep- 
tical of  the  soldierly  qualities  of  the  Tennesseans. 


PREPARATION   FOE  THE  FINAi  CONFLICT.  297 


XV. 

PREPARATION  FOR  THE  FINAL  CONFLICT. 

COMPLETELY  and  disastrously  foiled  in  his  attempt  on 
the  1st  of  January,  to  create  a  breach  in  the  American 
lines  with  his  powerful  batteries,  Packenham,  with  mor- 
tification  visible"  in  every  feature  and  action,  withdrew 
his  army  to  its  old  position  in  the  rear,  leaving  his  care- 
fully and  scientifically  made  redoubts,  his  dismantled 
guns  and  broken  carriages  a  confused  mass  of  ruins. 
Gibbs'  brigade  encamped  at  Bienvenu's,  and  Keane's 
at  Lacoste's.  The  General-in-Chief  resumed  his  old 
headquarters  at  Yillere's,  which  he  had  abandoned  in 
the  morning,  with  a  confident  expectation  of  shifting 
them  before  night,  permanently,  to  the  Government 
buildings  in  New  Orleans. 

The  army  murmured  audibly.  Such  incessant  labors 
and  repeated  failures  were  enough  to  try  the  patience 
of  the  most  hardy  veterans.  These  trials  were  the  more 
severe  to  victors,  like  the  Peninsular  heroes,  who  had 
scarcely  ever  before  experienced  a  reverse — whose  pre- 
vious campaigns  presented  an  unbroken  series  of  victo- 
ries and  successes.  Sickness  and  hunger  added  to  their 
distress  and  disgust.  The  dysentery  prevailed  to  a 
frightful  extent,  and  the  men  were  reduced  to  half  rations 
of  the  most  repulsive  and  unsavory  food.  That  neces- 
sary nourishment  of  the  soldiers,  coffee,  had  entirely  dis- 


298          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

appeared,  and  a  vain  effort  was  made  to  substitute  for  it 
a  decoction  of  burnt  biscuit.  Sugar,  of  which  an  abun- 
dance lay  about  them,  in  the  broken  hogsheads  of  the 
planters,  whose  estates  they  occupied,  became  an  impor- 
tant article  in  their  commissariat.  By  mixing  it  with 
broken  biscuit,  the  soldiers  succeeded  in  making  cakes, 
which  were  more  palatable  than  any  of  the  food  furnished 
to  them  by  the  army  purveyors. 

Another  council  of  the  chiefs  was  held,  which  was  a 
brief  one,  as  it  had  but  one  proposition  to  consider  and 
adopt.  It  was  Sir  Edward's  own  plan.  It  was  worthy 
of  his  bold  character,  and  has  never  been  justly  cen- 
sured or  criticised.  The  plan  was  to  sform  the  Ameri- 
can lines,  on  both  sides  the  river,  commencing  with 
those  on  the  right  bank,  which,  being  carried,  would 
enable  the  British  to  enfilade  Jackson's  lines,  and  drive 
him  from  his  position,  or  cut  off  his  communications 
with  the  city.  Such  a  plan  gave  Packenham  the  great 
advantage,  that,  having  the  larger  force,  he  could  afford 
to  divide  his  army,  whereas  Jackson's  men  were  hardly 
sufficient  to  defend  his  own  lines.  If  he  had  known 
Jackson's  real  condition,  Packenham  could  not  have 
adopted  a  plan  better  calculated  to  embarrass  and  defeat 
his  enemy.  With  a  sufficient  force,  say  fifteen  hundred 
or  two  thousand  men,  and  several  batteries  to  defend  the 
lines  on  the  right  bank,  Jackson  would  have  felt  quite 
safe  in  that  quarter,  but  as  it  was,  he  had  not  half  that 
force.  Indeed,  he  was  perilously  weak  on  that  side. 

Packenham  determined  to  pass  a  detachment  of  fifteen 
hundred  muskets,  with  some  artillery,  to  the  right  bank, 
and  pushing  forward  under  cover  of  the  night,  to  reach 
the  American  lines  before  day,  to  storm  them  as  soon  as 
it  was  light,  and  after  they  were  carried,  and  the  batte- 


PREPARATION   FOR  THE   FINAL   CONFLICT.  299 

ries  turned  upon  Jackson's  position,  the  lines  on  the  left 
bank  were  to  be  stormed  by  the  main  army.  The  duty 
of  conveying  the  troops  across  the  river  was  assigned  to 
Yice- Admiral  Cochrane,  who  adopted  a  novel,  bungling, 
and  exceedingly  laborious  mode  of  bringing  the  barges 
from  the  bayou,  -the  head  of  which,  or  its  junction  with 
Yillere's  canal,  lay  two  miles  from  the  river  bank.  He 
set  the  sailors  and  soldiers  to  work  to  excavate  the  old 
plantation  canal  and  prolong  it  to  the  river.  It  was  an 
herculean  labor  for  an  army  already  exhausted  with 
fatigue  and  sickness.  Yainly  the  officers  and  men  sug- 
gested that  it  would  be  far  easier  to  drag  the  barges  on 
rollers,  as  they  had  previously  dragged  cannon  that  were 
heavier  than  the  boats.  The  obstinate  old  Scotchman 
persisted  in  his  plan,  which  was  finally,  by  the  inces- 
sant labor  of  the  whole  army,  completed  on  the  Yth  of 
January.  Packenham  was  reconciled  to  this  delay  by 
the  hope  of  receiving  some  important  reinforcements, 
which  had  embarked  from  England  on  the  26th  October. 
These  at  last  arrived  on  the  6th  January,  and  consisted 
of  two  fine  regiments,  the  Yth  (Fusileers)  Packenham's 
"  own,"  Lieut.  Col.  Blakeney,  and  the  43d  Light  Infan- 
try, Lieut.  Col.  Patrickson,  the  whole  under  Major-Gene- 
ral John  Lambert,  Colonel  of  one  of  the  Household  Regi- 
ments (the  Foot  Guards.) 

There  were  no  two  regiments  in  the  British  army 
which  stood  higher — had  been  engaged  in  more  battles, 
and  had  won  more  laurels  than  the  Yth  and  43d.  "  The 
Hero  of  Salamanca"  felt  his  heart  throb  with  pride  arid 
soldierly  enthusiasm,  as  he  cast  his  eyes  along  the  ranks 
of  his  old  regiment,  and  recognized  the  familiar  faces  of 
such  a  number  of  his  old  comrades  in  so  many  bloody 
and  perilous  scenes.  General  Lambert,  though  a  young 


300  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

officer,  like  the  other  chiefs  of  the  expedition,  had  fleshed 
his  sword  under  Wellington.  He  enjoyed  the  confi- 
dence of  that  distinguished  commander  as  an  officer  of 
approved  courage  and  discretion.  His  services  had  been 
conspicuous  towards  the  close  of  the  Peninsular  war, 
when  he  led  a  brigade  in  the  advance  into  France,  and 
particularly  in  the  battle  of  Toulouse.  General  Lam- 
bert was  an  Englishman  by  birth,  and  had  been  sent  out 
to  America,  like  other  young  Generals,  to  win  distinction 
and  fortune. 

Packenham's  army  consisted  now  of  ten  thousand  of 
the  best  soldiers  in  the  world,  which  he  divided  into 
three  brigades,  under  Generals  Lambert,  Gibbs,  and 
Keane.  Besides  these,  there  was  a  strong  force  of  ma- 
rines and  sailors,  which  not  only  relieved  the  army  pro- 
per of  a  great  deal  of  labor  and  camp  duty,  and  other 
service,  but  was  also  ever  ready  to  take  a  part  in  the 
fighting. 

For  several  days  before  the  8th,  the  troops  were  kept 
continually  in  motion — either  at  work  on  the  canal,  or 
in  reviews  and  parades.  Their  spirits  revived  as  the 
evidences  thickened  around  them  of  the  approach  of 
some  decisive  movement,  and  as  they  observed  the  con- 
fidence and  activity  of  their  officers.  They  anticipated 
the  preparations  justly,  and  looked  forward  with  viva- 
city to  the  storming  of  the  contemptible  lines  of  the 
enemy,  paltry  indeed,  compared  with  those  more  formi- 
dable works  in  Spain,  which  they  had  stormed  when 
defended  by  French  veterans,  instead  of  the  "  broad- 
brimmed  shepherds "  who  now  held  them  at  bay. 

The  plan  of  execution  of  Packenham's  new  and  deci- 
sive movement  was  as  follows :  Colonel  Thornton,  with 
tiie  85th,  one  of  the  West  India  regiments,  and  the  ma- 


PREPARATION  "FOR   THE   FINAL   CONFLICT.  301 

lines  and  sailors,  making  a  detachment  of  1,400  muskets, 
with  a  corps  of  rocketers  and  three  carronades  in  barges, 
to  protect  his  flank,  was  directed  to  pass  across  the  river 
on  the  night  of  the  7th,  and  steal  upon  the  Americans 
before  day. 

On  the  left  bank  Gibbs,  with  the  44th,  21st,  and  4th, 
at  a  signal  to  be  given,  would  storm  the  American  left, 
where  it  was  deemed  weakest :  whilst  Keane,  with  the 
93d,  95th,  and  the  light  companies  of  the  7th,  43d,  and 
some  of  the  West  India  troops,  would  threaten  the  Ame- 
rican right — drawing  his  tire,  and  taking  advantage  of 
any  opportunity  that  might  occur  for  a  blow  at  him. 
On  the  left,  the  two  British  batteries  destroyed  on  the 
1st  were  to  be  restored  and  armed  with  six  or  eight 
eighteen-pounders,  were  to  engage  and  keep  employed 
the  American  batteries  on  their  right,  and  thereby  pre- 
vent them  from  opening  on  the  storming  column.  The 
advance  of  the  latter  were  to  carry  fascines  or  bundles  of 
cane  with  which  to  fill  up  the  ditch,  and  ladders,  on 
which  to  mount  the  parapet.  The  order  entered  on  the 
regimental  books,  and  dated  the  7th  January,  1815,  is 
given  by  one  of  the  survivors  of  these  events  as  follows : 
"  The  troops  will  be  under  arms  two  hours  before  day- 
light to-morrow  morning,  when  the  army  will  form  in 
two  columns  in  the  following  order :  The  right  column, 
consisting  of  the  4th,  21st,  44th,  will  take  post  near  the 
wood,  the  44th  leading  and  bearing  the  gabions  and 
fascines ;  the  left  column,  composed  of  one  company 
from  the  43d  regiment,  one  from  the  7th — the  93d,  and 
the  fifth  West  India  regiments,  shall  station  itself  on  the 
left,  and  on  the  road,  and  with  the  95th  extended,  shall 
keep  up  communications  between  the  heads  of  the  two 
columns ;  a  general  assault  will  then  be  made  on  the 


302          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

enemy's  lines,  and  the  commander  of  the  forces  places 
the  fullest  reliance  on  the  gallantry  of  the  troops  and  the 
skill  of  their  officers  ;  that  arrangements  were  made  to 
assure  success ;  and  that  he  confidently  expected  that  to- 
morrow  would  add  an  additional  laurel  to  the  many 
which  already  adorned  the  brows  of  his  brave  followers." 

Such  was  Packenham's  plan  of  attack,  and  the  gene- 
ral order  directing  the  mode  of  executing  it. 

And  how  did  Jackson  prepare  to  meet  and  repel  these 
formidable  arrangements,  the  nature  and  object  of  which 
were  soon  known  to  him  ?  First,  he  dispatched  messen- 
gers to  hasten  the  advance  of  the  reinforcements  of  his 
frightfully  meagre  force.  Gen.  Philemon  Thomas  arri- 
ved in  the  city  on  the  1st  January,  with  500  militia 
from  Baton  Kouge.  On  the  4th  January  the  long-ex- 
pected drafted  militia  of  Kentucky  relieved  Jackson  by 
their  presence,  but  in  such  plight  as  to  make  it  quite 
questionable  whether  they  were  any  addition  to  his 
effective  strength.  These  gallant  men  had  hurried  from 
their  homes,  travelling  fifteen  hundred  miles,  without 
supplies  and  clothing,  under  the  infatuation  that  they 
would  find  an  abundance  of  arms  and  clothes  provided 
by  the  government,  at  New  Orleans.  They  little  knew 
that  long  before  their  arrival,  Jackson  had  exhausted  all 
the  Government's,  the  State's,  and  the  City's  supplies 
of  arms  and  munitions  to  furnish  his  little  army.  Under 
this  delusive  hope,  General  John  Thomas  brought  his 
two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  Kentuckians  to  the 
city.  About  one-third  of  these  were  armed  with  fowl- 
ing pieces  and  old  muskets.  Nearly  all  of  them  were 
in  want  of  clothing,  having  left  home  with  but  one  shirt 
apiece.  The  poor  fellows  had  to  hold  their  tattered  gar- 
ments together,  to  hide  their  nakedness,  as  they  marched 


PREPARATION   FOR   THE   FINAL   CONFLICT.  303 

through  the  streets.  If  this  fact  reflects  seriously  upon 
the  Federal  Government  of  that  day,  it  speaks  volumes 
for  the  ardent  patriotism  of  the  gallant  Kentuckians, 
who  are  ever  foremost  in  encountering  any  danger  and 
sacrifice  in  the  defence  of  the  honor  and  integrity  of 
their  country.  Such  a  spectacle  produced  a  lively  sensa- 
tion among  the  grateful  and  patriotic  citizens  of  New 
Orleans.  Immediate  steps  were  taken  to  relieve  the 
wants  and  distress  of  the  gallant  men  of  the  West,  who 
had  left  comfortable  homes  to  fight  for  so  distant  a  sec- 
tion of  the  Union.  The  Legislature  appropriated  $6,000, 
and  the  people,  including  the  volunteers  and  militia  of 
New  Orleans,  the  inhabitants  of  Attakapas,  and  of  the 
river  parishes,  augmented  this  sum  to  $16,000,  which 
was  laid  out  in  the  purchase  of  blankets  and  woolens, 
and  these  being  distributed  among  the  ladies  of  the  city, 
were  made  into  comfortable  clothes  within  a  few  days 
after  the  money  was  raised.  Thus  were  provided  for 
the  suffering  militia  one  thousand  two  hundred  blanket- 
coats  ;  two  hundred  and  sixty-five  waistcoats ;  one  thou- 
sand one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  pair  of  pants ;  eight 
hundred  sheets ;  four  hundred  and  ten  pair  of  shoes,  and 
a  great  number  of  other  articles  of  clothing.  Here  was 
a  striking  example  of  the  public  spirit  of  the  citizens,  of 
the  ardent  patriotism  of  the  ladies  of  New  Orleans,  and 
likewise  of  the  economy  which  was  observed  in  those 
days  in  the  expenditure  of  money.  The  sum  which  was 
thus  made  to  contribute  so  largely  to  the  health  and 
comfort  of  a  whole  brigade,  would  barely  serve,  in  these 
days  of  contractors  and  of  governmental  extravagance,  to 
supply  a  single  company  with  the  necessaries  of  a  cam- 
paign. All  honor  to  the  ladies  of  New  Orleans  for  this 
noble  display  of  gratitude  and  generosity ;  all  honor  to 


304  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

the  veterans  De  Buys,  Soulie,  and  Loncaillier,  for  their 
energetic  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  destitute  soldiers. 

Jackson  had  received  an  actual  reinforcement  of  not 
over  2500  men  since  the  23d.  With  these  he  had  to 
guard  the  approaches  to  the  city  by  the  northern 
branches  of  the  Bienvenu,  where  he  maintained  outposts, 
and  to  defend  the  lines  in  front  of  the  enemy,  on  both 
sides  of  the  river.  Such  a  force,  compared  with  that  of 
the  British,  of  which  he  had  a  clear  and  distinct  view 
from  the  window  of  Macarte's,  would  have  dispirited 
and  unnerved  any  other  man.  To  Jackson  it  gave  new 
vigor,  heroism  and  intensity  of  purpose.  His  eyes  grew 
more  bright  and  his  lips  set  firmer  together,  as  every 
day  and  hour  added  to  his  perils,  without  increasing  his 
means  of  resistance.  His  wasted  frame  seemed  to  take 
new  life,  galvanized  by  the  heroic  soul  which  tenanted 
it.  He  was  everywhere.  His  aids  found  it  difficult  to 
keep  up  with  him.  His  noble  bay  charger,  foamed  and 
smoked  with  the  continual  exercise  of  galloping  from 
post  to  post.  Nor  was  he  oppressed  only  with  the  cares 
of  his  army — of  maintaining  his  post.  There  were  the 
annoyances  of  timid  counsels,  of  the  fears,  the  doubts, 
the  intrigues  of  civilians  and  politicians,  who  had  no 
confidence  in  his  ability  to  defend  the  city,  and  who 
dwelt  upon  the  horrors  of  a  sack  as  a  consequence  of  a 
vigorous  resistance. 

"  Was  not  this,  in  a  good  part,  the  same  British  army 
which  had  perpetrated  the  atrocities  of  San  Salvador 
and  of  Washington  city  ?"  was  gloomily  whispered  by 
some  timid  citizens.  These  were  certainly  serious  and 
appalling  apprehensions  to  fathers,  husbands,  and  civi- 
lians generally.  But  to  the  immortal  renown  of  New 
Orleans  be  it  said,  that  few,  very  few,  indeed,  there 


PEEPAEATION   FOE   THU    FINAL   CONFLICT.  305 

were  who  gave  way  to  these  fears.  Jackson  had  com- 
.  municated  his  spirit  to  the  great  mass  of  the  population. 
And  though  historians,  politicians,  and  others  have 
thought  it  due  to  the  reputation  and  glory  of  Jackson, 
to  exaggerate  the  discontent  and  apprehensions  of  a  few 
timid  persons  in  New  Orleans  into  a  deep-laid  scheme 
of  treason ;  and  though  we  are  aware  that  partisans  and 
intriguants  succeeded  in  instilling  into  the  mind  of  the 
General  himself  this  suspicion,  yet  it  is  due  to  truth,  to 
history,  and  the  reputation  of  this  gallant  city,  to  say 
that,  with  abundant  means  and  facilities  for  procuring 
the  evidence  of  such  inglorious  purposes  and  feelings, 
their  existence  has  never  yet  been  established. 

It  is  no  longer  necessary,  if  it  ever  was,  to  the  fame 
of  Jackson,  that  the  libel  should  be  perpetuated.  That 
the  reported  resolution  of  Jackson,  in  case  his  lines  were 
forced,  to  fall  back  on  the  city,  to  fire  it,  and  fight  the 
enemy  in  the  blazing  streets  and  in  the  tumult  of  a  con- 
flagration, should  excite  great  alarm,  was  quite  natural. 
But  we  feel  confident  in  the  assertion,  that  in  no  commu- 
nity in  the  world  would  such  a  desperate  step  have  been 
more  generally  acquiesced  in  and  excited  less  terror  and 
distress  than  in  New  Orleans.  As  the  best  evidence  of 
the  justice  of  this  opinion,  we  need  only  state  the  fact 
that  the  people  remained  in  the  city  after  this  report 
became  rife,  and  after  it  was  known  that  the  General 
had  replied  to  certain  inquiries  as  to  his  purpose,  in  case 
his  lines  were  carried,  that  "if  the  hair  .of  his  head  knew 
what  his  determination  was,  he  would  cut  it  off,"  with 
an  intimation  provoked  by  rumors  of  the  disloyalty  of 
the  Legislature,  that  if  his  lines  were  carried  their  ses 
eion  would  be  a  warm  one ! 

"We  have  little  doubt  that  Jackson's  determination 


306          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

was  as  reported,  and  still  less  that  he  would  have  exe- 
cuted it. 

On  the  6th  January,  sailing-master  Johnson — the  same 
who  was  so  vigorously  defended  Pass  Christian  against 
Lockyer's  barges — slipping  out  of  the  Chef-Menteur  with 
three  boats,  succeeded  in  capturing  a  British  brig 
loaded  with  rum  and  biscuit,  on  her  way  to  the  Bayou 
Bienveuu.  Ten  prisoners  were  taken  on  the  brig,  who 
were  conducted  to  Jackson's  head-quarters.  From  them 
Jackson  received  continuation  of  his  suspicion  that  the 
enemy  were  digging  a  canal  to  aid  in  transporting  troops 
to  the  other  side  of  the  river.  He  determined,  therefore, 
to  strengthen  that  part  of  the  defences. 

After  the  23d  December  General  David  Morgan, 
commanding  the  quota  of  Louisiana  militia  who  occu- 
pied the  English  Turn  when  the  British  arrived  at 
Villere's,  was  ordered  to  pass  across  the  river  and  take 
position  opposite  Jackson's  lines.  But  Morgan  preferred 
a  position  somewhat  in  advance  of  Jackson's,  and 
accordingly  established  himself  on  Raquet's  Canal, 
about  three  hundred  yards  in  front  of  Patterson's  Marine 
Battery.  His  command  consisted  of  260  effective 
militia  men.  Here  he  was  soon  joined  by  the  2d  Regi- 
ment of  Louisiana  Militia,  Col.  Z.  Cavellier,  160'  men ; 
and  on  the  6th  January  by  Colonel  Dejean's  regiment, 
which  completed  his  line  to  the  river.  With  this  weak 
force  Morgan  commenced  to  throw  up  an  entrenchment 
for  two  hundred  yards ;  the  remainder  of  the  line,  two 
thousand  yards,  was  left  with  no  other  defence  but  the 
ditch.  Colonel  Latour,  whose  able  history  is  the  text 
book  of  this  campaign,  had  directed  General  Morgan's 
attention  to  a  much  more  practicable  line  some  distance 
in  his  rear,  where  the  space  to  be  defended  between  the 


PREPARATION   FOR   THE   FINAL   CONFLICT. 

river  and  the  swamp,  was  only  nine  hundred  yards. 
This  line  could  have  been  defended  with  one  thousand 
muskets,  or  with  five  hundred  muskets  and  one  or  two 
batteries. 

On  the  left,  Jackson's  lines  had  been  daily  strength- 
ened, the  men  working  incessantly  on  them,  widening 
and  deepening  the  ditch,  and  increasing  the  height  and 
bulk  of  the  parapet.  On  the  6th,  some  of  the  more  sci- 
entific officers  suggested  to  Jackson  to  strengthen  the 
right  by  throwing  up  a  redoubt,  or  horn-work,  in  which 
some  cannon  could  be  planted  to  enfilade  the  front  of 
his  lines,  and  defend  the  extreme  right  of  his  position. 
When  Jackson  saw  a  plan  of  the  work  he  condemned 
it,  but  was  persuaded  to  allow  it  to  be  built.  It  was 
accordingly  thrown  up,  with  three  embrasures,  which 
commanded  the  road,  the  river-bank,  and  flanked  the 
front  of  the  lines.  A  shallow  ditch,  that  had  run  dry 
by  the  falling  of  the  river,  surrounded  the  redoubt, 
which  had  not  been  completed  on  the  night  of  the  7th. 
Jackson,  when  he  saw  this  work,  shook  his  head,  and 
remarked  to  one  of  his  aids,  "That  will  give  us  trouble." 

Let  us  survey  these  famous  lines  of  Jackson's.  Time 
has  spared  many  memorials  of  the  great  achievements 
we  relate.  The  scene  of  these  events  has  experienced 
slighter  changes  in  the  last  forty  years  than  the  arena 
of  any  similar  occurrences  in  this  land  of  change  and 
progress.  As  if  to  rebuke  the  deficiencies  of  our  histo- 
rical records,  nature  has  preserved,  in  almost  their 
original  state,  the  physical  characteristics  of  the  scenery 
associated  with  the  most  glorious  triumphs  of  the  Ame- 
rican arms.  The  reader  need  only  acquaint  himself 
with  the  leading  facts  of  the  campaign,  and  then  pro- 
ceeding six  yards  below  the  city,  he  may  take  his  posi- 


308  JACKSON   AND   NEW   ORLEANS. 

tion  in  the  gallery  of  Macarte  where  Jackson  himself 
stood  on  the  afternoon  of  the  7th  January,  1815,  closely 
observing  through  a  telescope  the  movements  in  the 
British  camp,  situated  two  miles  down  the  river.  Here 
he  will  command  a  splendid  view  of  the  whole  scene  of 
this  campaign.  He  will  perceive  the  embankment, 
somewhat  worn  by  time  and  the  elements,  behind  which 
Jackson's  men  stationed  themselves.  He  can  trace  it 
clearly  and  distinctly  from  the*  river  to  the  swamp,  in 
which  it  is  lost  to  view.  It  becomes  more  distinct  as  it 
approaches  the  swamp,  the  ground  near  the  river  having 
been  more  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  plow  and  the 
tramp  of  men  and  cattle.  The  river  having  caved  some 
hundred  or  two  feet,  the  line  of  the  levee  has  been 
slightly  changed,  and  the  road  has  worn  away  the 
mound  and  the  vestiges  of  the  redoubt  on  the  extreme 
right.  There  is  a  handsome  villa,  quite  ancient  too  in 
its  aspect,  standing  near  the  road  in  the  centre  of  the 
lines  and  about  a  hundred  yards  from. the  ditch.  This, 
however,  has  been  built  since  the  war.  Chalmette's 
buildings,  which  were  destroyed  by  the  Americans  to 
give  jull  play  to  their  artillery,  were  at  least  two  hun- 
dred yards  in  rear  of  this  edifice.  All  else  is  as  it  was 
in  1815.  Jackson's  head-quarters  are  nearly  concealed 
by  a  luxuriant  growth  of  the  graceful  cedars  and 
cypress, — which  here  assume  the  most  symmetrical  pro- 
portions, tapering  off  into  perfect  cones  and  pyramids. 
A  thick  orange  hedge  almost  excludes  a  glimpse  into 
the  handsome  garden,  where  bloom  all  the  flowers  and 
shrubs  of  this  rich  soil  and  benignant  clime.  But  the 
buildings  stand  as  they  did  then,  but  slightly  changed 
by  the  lapse  of  time.  They  are  scarred  in  many  places 
with  marks  of  the  severe  cannonade  to  which  they  were 


PREPARATION   FOR   THE   FINAL   CONFLICT.  309 

exposed.1  The  view  stretches  far  down  the  river ;  and 
is  quite  monotonous.  The  same  broad,  open  field, 
divided  by  numerous  ditches,  and  relieved  at  intervals 
of  miles,  by  groves  wherein  nestle  the  homesteads  of  the 
planters  and  the  neat  little  cottages  of  the  negroes,  com- 
plete the  panorama.  The  noble  Mississippi  moves 
along  with  the  same  sublime  grandeur,  in  the  same 
course  and  at  the  same  height  as  when,  by  its  calm 
power  and  majesty,  it  inspired  Jackson  with  that  sublime 
courage  and  resolution,  of  which  it  is  so  mighty  a 
symbol. 

Those  jields  are  the  same,  too.  The  plain  of  Chal- 
rnette,  thus  named  after  the  owner  of  the  ground  in  front 
of  Jackson's  lines,  has  the  same  dimensions  now  that  it 
had  then.  It  is  an  unbroken  level,  usually  when  not  in 
cane,  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  stubble  or 
weeds,  and  cut  into  numerous  small  ditches.  Solitary 
live  oaks,  reverently  spared  by  the  plowman,  loom  out 
grandly  at  long  distances  apart  from  the  grey  or  brown 
plain.  The  swamp,  too,  has  preserved  its  line  of  sepa- 
ration from  the  fields.  It  presents  the  same  contour  as 
in  1815 — with  that  identical  bulge  or  projection  within 
two  or  three  hundred  yards  of  Jackson's  lines,  which 
served  as  a  cover  for  the  British  in  their  advance.  Near 
the  swamp,  and  within  it  for  some  distance,  the  mound 
erected  by  the  Tennesseeans  is  almost  as  prominent  and 
clearly  defined  as  it  was,  when  the  gallant  bush-fighters 
rested  their  long  rifles  on  its  summit. 

So  much  for  the  present  aspect  of  these  classic  plains. 
What  was  their  appearance  in  the  memorable  month 
of  January,  1815  ? 

Jackson's  lines  were  drawn  along  an  old  mill  race 
which  separated  the  plantations  of  Rodriguez  (Macarte's) 


310          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

and  Chalraette.  In  the  early  days  of  the  Sfate,  mills 
were  located  at  the  heads  of  canals,  which  were  dug 
from  the  river  towards  the  swamp,  and  through  them  a 
large  body  of  water  was  projected  from  the  river,  the  sur- 
face of  which  is  several  feet  higher  than  the  land  in  the 
rear.  Rodriguez's  canal  had  long  been  abandoned,  and 
was  nearly  filled  up  with  dirt  and  grass,  so  that  it  pre- 
sented the  appearance  of  a  simple  draining  ditch.  This 
position  recommended  itself  to  Jackson  by  the  fact,  that 
it  left  him  the  smallest  space  between  the  river  and  the 
swamp  to  defend.  It  gave  him  the  narrowest  front  he 
could  find  near  the  position  of  the  enemy.  This  was  its 
only  peculiarity,  which  would  have  attracted  the  notice 
of  amost  every  man,  who  was  driven  with  a  small  force, 
to  the  necessity  of  entrenching,  to  defend  himself  against 
a  larger.  It  was  Jackson's  own  selection.  To  this  point 
he  marched  his  army  on  the  24th,  and  ordered  his  men 
to  widen  the  canal  in  front,  throwing  uf>  the  dirt  into  a 
parapet.  The  story  that  General  Moreau  had  previously 
perceived  the  advantages  of  this  position,  and  recom- 
mended it  in  case  the  city  was  approached  in  that 
quarter,  is  an  absurd  fiction,  obvious  to  all  who  have 
ever  observed  the  character  of  the  country. 

Owing  to  the  irregular,  independent  and  hurried  man- 
ner in  which  the  parapet  was  thrown  up,  the  men  being 
continuously  at-work  on  it  from  the  24th  December  to 
7th  January,  it  presented,  when  completed,  quite  an 
irregular  appearance.  In  some  places  being  twenty 
feet  thick  and  in  others  of  scarcely  sufficient  solidity  to 
resist  the  enemy's  balls ;  in  some  places  having  a  height 
sufficient  to  conceal  the  tallest  men  and  in  others  hardly 
reaching  the  belt  of  an  ordinary  sized  person.  The 
mound  was  composed  entirely  of  earth  dug  from  the 


PBEPAKATION   FOB   THE   FIXAL   CONFLICT.  311 

canal  and  the  field  in  the  rear.  The  experiment  of  using 
cotton  bales  and  other  articles  in  raising  the  embank- 
ment had  been  discarded,  and  the  elastic,  tenacious  soil 
of  the  alluvion  preferred  to  all  other  materials,  being 
superior  for  such  uses  even  to  brick  or  granite. 

On  the  first  of  January,  there  was  but  a  small  part  of 
the  line,  which  could  not  be  penetrated  by  the  balls  of 
the  enemy,  but  on  the  6th  it  was  rendered  cannon-proof 
nearly  the  whole  length.  This  was  the  work  of  men 
who  were  unaccustomed  to  physical  labor.  The  vigor 
and  alacrity  with  which  merchants,  lawyers,  young 
clerks,  and  others,  who  had  hardly  ever  performed  a 
day's  work  of  manual  labour  in  their  lives,  prosecuted 
this  task  for  ten  or  twelve  days,  showed  the  earnest  pur- 
pose and  ardent  resolution  of  Jackson's  patriotic  com- 
rades. 

The  lines  extended  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  river 
to  the  woods,  and  then  penetrated  the  swamp,  as  far  as 
it  was  deemed  possible  to  turn  them,  resting  on  the 
extreme  left  on  an  impassable  swamp.  That  part  of  the 
lines,  which  passed  through  the  woods  was  frail  and 
rude,  not  being  made  to  resist  artillery.  The  average 
height  of  the  parapet  was  five  feet.  In  many  places  the 
men  had  to  stoop  to  sight  their  guns  from  the  mound. 
Nothing  could  have  been  ruder  or  simpler  than  this 
whole  work,  which  is  made  to  figure  in  history,  as  one 
of  the  most  formidable  fortifications  that  an  invading 
army  ever  encountered.  It  is  just  such  a  parapet  as  the 
whole  Delta  of  the  Mississippi  would  present  to  an 
enemy,  who  might  attempt  to  advance  up  the  river. 
With  embrasures  cut  in  the  levee,  filled  with  cannon  of 
sufficient  calibre,  well  manned,  the  hostile  navies  of  the 
world  would  find  it  nearly  as  difficult  to  reach  New 


312          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Orleans  by  the  Mississippi  river,  as  for  the  Allied  Squad- 
rons of  France  and  Great  Britain  to  pass  the  frowning 
and  lofty  granite  batteries  of  Cronstadt  and  reach  the 
famous  stronghold  of  Russian  power,  St.  Petersburg. 
Cannon  balls  will  break,  crush  and  dislodge  granite, 
coral  and  even  iron  walls,  but  from  the  soil  of  the 
Mississippi  bottoms  they  will  rebound  as  if  made  of 
India-rubber. 

•  The  artillery  of  Jackson  was  thus  distributed.  On  the 
road  within  and  near  the  levee  was  the  battery  of 
Colonel  Humphrey  of  the  regular  artillery.  It  consisted 
of  two  brass  twelves  and  a  six-inch  howitzer.  These 
pieces  enfiladed  the  road  and  grazed  the  flank  of  the 
redoubt.  This  battery  was  located  about  seventy  yards 
from  the  river.  The  two  twelves  were  served  by  U.  S. 
artillerists,  and  the  howitzer  by  the  dragoons  of  Major 
St.  Geme. 

Battery  No.  2,  distant  ninety  yards  from  "No.  1,  con- 
sisted of  one  twenty-four-pounder  under  Lieutenant 
Norris  of  the  navy,  and  was  served  by  sailors  from  the 
Carolina. 

Battery  No.  3,  fifty  yards  from  'No.  2,  consisted  of 
two  twenty-fours,  manned  by  the  Baratarians  and  French 
privateers,  under  their  famous  chiefs,  Dominique  You 
and  Bluche,  who  had  been  released  from  prison,  to 
which  they  had  been  committed  under  indictments  for 
piracy,  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  Jackson  to  defend  the 
.city. 

Battery  No.  4,  distant  twenty  yards  from  No.  3,  con- 
listed  of  one  thirty-two-pounder,  and  was  served  by  part 
jf  the  crew  of  the  Carolina,  under  Lieutenant  Crawley. 

Battery  No.  5,  distant  one  hundred  and  ninety  yards 
from  No.  4,  commanded  by  Colonel  Perry  and  Lieuten- 


PREPARATION    FOR   THE   FINAL   CONFLICT.  313 

ant  Kerr  of  the  artillery  had  two  six-pounders  and  one 
eighteen. 

Battery  No.  6,  commanded  by  General  Garrique 
Fleaujeac,  a  veteran  of  Napole'on's  wars,  who  had  served 
in  Egypt  and  Italy,  was  manned  by  a  detachment  of 
the  Francs  of  the  battalion  D'Orleans,  under  the  imme- 
diate command  of  Lieutenant  Berbel,  had  a  brass  twelve. 
It  was  situate  thirty- six  yards  from  No.  5. 

Battery  No.  Y  had  a  long  brass  eighteen  pound  culve- 
rin  and  a  six-pounder,  under  Lieutenant  Spotts  and 
Chameau,  and  was  served  by  gunners  of  the  U.  S.  artil- 
lery. It  was  one  hundred  and  ninety  yards  from  No.  6. 

Battery  No.  8  had  a  small  brass  carronade,  which 
could  not  be  expected  to  render  much  service,  as  it  was 
badly  mounted.  It  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  corporal 
of  artillery,  and  was  served  by  some  of  Carroll's  men, 
and  was  distant  sixty  yards  from  No.  7.  This  completed 
Jackson's  batteries.  His  artillery  force  may  be  summed 
up  as  follows:  Four  sixes,  (including  those  in  the 
redoubt),  three  twelves,  two  eighteens,  three  twerity- 
fours,  one  thirty-two,  one  six-inch  howitzer,  and  one 
small  brass  carronade.  There  wras  also  a  mortar,  which 
remained  for  some  time  in  the  camp,  of  no  use,  because 
no  person  could  be  found  in  the  army  who  knew  how  to 
plant  it.  This  task  was  at  last  performed  by  a  French 
veteran  of  the  name  of  Lefebvre,  but  it  did  not  prove  a 
very  effective  weapon.  Jackson's  artillery  consisted  of 
sixteen  pieces,  of  various  calibre.  The  heaviest  of  the 
artillery  were  placed  on  the  right,  to  resist  the  British 
batteries  and  repel  the  attack  in  that  quarter.  As  a 
part  of  his  defence,  the  marine  battery  on  the  right 
bank,  under  Patterson,  consisting  of  three  twenty-fours 
and  six  twelves,  which  that  active  officer  had  placed  in 

14 


314  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

battery  between  the  30th  December  and  6th  Jan-nary, 
and  which  flanked  the  enemy  on  the  left  bank,  must 
not  be  forgotten.  This  would  swell  Jackson's  artillery 
force  to  twenty -five  pieces — quite  a  formidable  propor- 
tion of  artillery  to  so  small  a  force  of  infantry. 

The  latter  were  distributed  as  follows:  The  redoubt 
on  the  extreme  right  was  occupied  by  a  company  of  the 
7th  infantry,  under  Lieutenant  Ross.  The  two  sixes 
were  served  by  a  detachment  »of  the  44th,  under  Lieu- 
tenant Maraut.  Tents  were  pitched  in  this  redoubt. 
On  the  extreme  right,  between  Humphrey's  battery  and 
the  river,  were  stationed  Beale's  rifles,  thirty  in  number. 
From  their  left  the  7th  infantry  extended  to  Battery  No. 
3,  covering  Humphrey's  and  Norris'  guns,  taking  in  the 
powder  magazine,  built  since  1st  January. 

This  regiment  was  430  strong,  under  that  active  young 
Creole,  Major  Peire.  Between  the  two  guns  of  Battery 
No.  3  (You's  and  Bluche's),  the  company  of  the  car- 
bineers were  stationed,  and  the  remainder  of  Blanche's 
battalion  of  Orleans,  and  Lacoste's  battalion  of  free  men 
of  color — the  former  numbering  289,  the  latter  280 — 
filled  up  the  interval  from  No.  3  to  No.  4  (Crawley's 
thirty-two),  covering  the  latter  gun.  Daquin's  battalion 
of  free  men  of  color,  150,  and  the  44th  i:nder  Captain 
Baker,  240,  extended  to  Perry's  battery,  No.  5. 

Two-thirds  of  the  remaining  length  of  the  line  was 
guarded  by  Carroll's  command,  who  was  reinforced  on 
the  7th  by  one  thousand  Kentuckians  under  General 
Adair,  consisting  of  600  men  under  Colonel  Slaughter 
and  400  under  Major  Harrison,  who  were  all  of  Major- 
General  Thomas's  Kentucky  Division  of  2,250  for  whom 
arms  could  be  obtained. 

On  the  right  of  Battery  No.  7  (Spotts')  fifty  marines 


PREPARATION   FOE   THE   FINAL   CONFLICT.  315 

were  stationed,  under  Lieutenant  Bellevue.  The  extreme 
left  was  held  by  Coffee,  whose  men  were  compelled  to 
stand  constantly  in  the  water,  and  had  no  other  beds 
but  the  floating  logs  which  they  could  make  fast  to  the 
trees.  Coffee's  command  was  500.  Ogden's  horse  troop, 
h'fty  strong,  was  stationed  near  headquarters ;  Cauveau's, 
thirty,  near  them ;  and  Hind's  squadron,  150  strong,  was 
encamped  in  the  rear,  on  Delery's  plantation.  Detach- 
ments of  Colonel  Young's  regiment  of  Louisiana  militia 
were  stationed  in  the  rear,  near  Pierna's  canal,  to  pre- 
vent the  enemy  coming  into  the  camp  in  that  direction, 
and  also  to  prevent  any  persons  from  leaving  the  lines. 
Outposts  were  thrown  out  five  hundred  yards  to  the 
front.  Jackson's  whole  force  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
river  amounted  to  4,000  men,  but  his  lines  were  occu- 
pied by  only  3,200,  of  which  less  than  800  were  regular 
troops,  and  those  mostly  fresh  recruits,  commanded  by 
young  officers.  The  consolidated  report,  in  the  Adju- 
tant-General's office,  gives  Jackson,  on  the  8th  January, 
1815,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  a  force  of  5,045 — in 
which,  however,  Major  Harrison's  Kentucky  battalion 
is  not  included. 

Jackson's  army  was  divided  into  two  divisions.  The 
troops  from  the  right  to  the  left  of  the  44th,  were  under 
the  command  of  Colonel  Ross,  acting  Brigadier  General, 
and  the  left  of  the  line  under  Carroll  and  Coffee,  the  for- 
mer as  Major-General,  and  the  latter  as  Brigadier-Gene- 
ral. 

How  grossly  and  shamefully  untrue  is  the  statement 
of  nearly  all  the  British  historians,  that  Jackson  had  an 
army  of  twelve  thousand.  Alison,  in  his  fourth  vol- 
ume of  his  History  of  Europe,  says :  "  Including  seamen 
and  marines,  about  six  thousand  combatants  on  the 


316  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

British  side  were  in  the  field  ;  a  slender  force  to  attack 
double  their  number,  entrenched  to  their  teeth  in  works 
bristling  with  bayonets  and  loaded  with  heavy  artillery. 
....  General  Jackson,  an  officer  since  become  celebra- 
ted both  in  the  military  and  political  history  of  the  coun- 
try, commanded  a  military  force  destined  for  the  defence 
of  the  city,  which  amounted  to  about  twelve  thousand 
men."  It  will  be  seen  that  this  great  standard  historian 
quadruples  Jackson's  force,  and  by  the  vagueness  of  his 
terms,  conveys  the  idea  that  the  British  were  but  six 
thousand,  which  was  the  number  of  their  storming  col- 
umns, exclusive  of  their  reserves,  of  Thornton's  detach- 
ment, and  the  sailors  and  marines. 

So  Bissett,  in  his  History  of  the  reign  of  George  III., 
states  that  the  American  force  collected  for  the  defence 
of  New  Orleans,  consisted  of  30,000  men.  The  author 
of  the  Narrative  of  the  British  army  at  Washington,  Bal- 
timore, and  New  Orleans,  an  actor  in  the  events  he 
describes,  after  mentioning  the  conflicting  estimates  of 
the  American  force,  varying  from  23,000  to  30,000, 
chooses  a  middle  course,  and  supposes  the  whole  force 
to  be  about  twenty-five  thousand.  Baines,  in  his  His- 
tory of  the  French  Revolution,  approaches  the  truth, 
and  sets  down  the  force  on  each  side  at  about  ten  thou- 
sand men. 

Besides  the  arrangements  for  defence  mentioned,  there 
was  another  characteristic  precaution  of  Jackson.  He 
had  directed  another  entrenchment  to  be  thrown  up  a 
mile  and  a  half  in  the  rear  of  that  which  he  occupied 
with  his  army,  in  which  were  posted  all  those  of  his 
army  who  were  not  well  armed  or  regarded  as  able- 
bodied.  With  rare  exceptions,  the  men  in  charge  of 
this  line  were  armed  only  with  spades  and  pick-axes, 


PREPARATION   FOE  THE   FINAL   CONFLICT.  317 

Should  the  enemy  succeed  in  carrying  his  main  works 
by  escalade,  Jackson  intended  to  throw  forward  his 
mounted  force,  and  under  their  protection  fall  back  to 
and  rally  upon  his  second  line.  A  third  line  had  also 
been  drawn  still  nearer  the  city,  upon  which  the  men 
had  commenced  working  quite  vigorously. 

On.  the  6th,  it  was  well  understood  by  Jackson  that 
the  British  intended  to  cross  the  river,  but  whether  for 
the  purpose  of  concentrating  their  force  on  the  weak 
defences  on  the  right  bank,  or  for  a  simultaneous  and 
concerted  advance  on  both  banks,  could  only  be  conjec- 
tured by  the  American  commander.  To  obtain  some 
information  on  this  point,  Jackson  sent  his  intelligent 
and  sagacious  aid,  Col.  John  R.  Grimes,  across  the  river, 
to  observe  the  movements  of  the  enemy  at  Villere's,  and 
report  upon  the  condition  of  Morgan's  defences.  Colo- 
nel Grimes  executed  this  order  in  a  prompt  and  efficient 
manner.  He  saw  at  a  glance,  that  the  enemy  were  pre- 
paring to  throw  a  detachment  across  the  river,  and  ho 
advised  General  Morgan  to  march  his  whole  force  down, 
under  cover  of  the  levee,  take  post  opposite  Villere's, 
and  when  the  enemy  approached  in  their  boats,  to  open 
fire  upon  them.  Completely  protected  by  the  levee,  a 
better  entrenchment  than  that  which  Jackson  had 
thrown  up  on  the  left,  there  is  little  doubt  that  if  this 
advice  had  been  adopted,  Morgan  would  have  destroyed 
the  British  detachment,  which  might  attempt  to  cross 
the  river,  or  at  least  driven  it  back.  But,  instead  of 
pursuing  this  sensible  and  practicable  plan,  Morgan 
stationed  his  advance,  consisting  of  120  militia  of  Major 
Arnaud's  battalion,  under  Major  Tessier,  armed  with 
fowling-pieces  and  musket  cartridges,  on  Mayhew's  canal, 
in  front  of  his  own  position,  and  several  hundred  yards 


318  JACKSON   AND   NEW   ORLEANS. 

from  the  place  where  the  British  would  probably  land. 
Of  course  this  small  force  could  cover  but  a  small  por- 
tion of  a  position  so  illy  chosen. 

On  the  night  of  the  7th,  Commodore  Patterson  and 
his  volunteer  aid,  R.  D.  Shepherd,  proceeded  down  the 
right  bank  of  the  river,  and  arriving  at  a  point  opposite 
the  scene  of  the  British  preparations,  where  they  ap- 
peared to  be  most  actively  engaged,  observed  closely 
their  proceedings.  They  could  hear  a  considerable 
commotion  in  the  enemy's  camp — the  sounds  of  men 
pulling  arid  dragging  boats,  as  if  in  great  haste — the 
splash  of  boats,  as  they  fell  into  the  river — the  orders 
of  officers,  and  expressions  of  relief  and  satisfaction  of 
the  laborers,  as  some  work  appeared  to  be  finished. 
They  could  even  discover,  by  the  camp  fires,  a  long  line 
of  soldiers  drawn  up  on  the  levee.  They  hastened  back 
to  Patterson's  battery.  On  their  return,  Patterson 
observed  the  very  weak  and  insecure  position  of  Morgan, 
and  after  consulting  with  that  officer,  directed  Mr. 
Shepherd  to  cross  the  river  and  inform  General  Jackson 
of  the  state  of  affairs,  and  beg  him  to  reinforce  Morgan, 
who  had  not  men  enough  to  occupy  his  lines.  Shepherd 
crossed  the  river,  and  arrived  at  Jackson's  headquarters 
about  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  8th.  He  in- 
formed the  sentinel  on  guard  that  he  had  important 
intelligence'  to  communicate  to  the  General,  and  was 
accordingly  ushered  into  the  room,  where  Jackson  lay 
on  a  sofa,  snatching  a  few  moments  of  rest  from  the 
great  fatigues  of  the  day.  Around  the  General  lay  his 
aids,  on  the  floor,  all  asleep.  On  Shepherd's  entering. 
Jackson  raised  his  head  and  asked, 

"  Who's  there  ?" 

Mr.  Shepherd  gave  his  name,  and  added  that  he  had 


PKEPARATION   FOB   THE   FINAL   CONFLICT.  319 

been  sent  over  by  Commodore  Patterson  and  General 
Morgan,  to  inform  him,  General  Jackson,  that  the 
appearances  in  the  British  camp,  indicated  that  the 
main  attack  was  to  be  made  on  the  right  bank,  and  that 
Morgan  required  more  troops  to  maintain  his  position. 
"  Hurry  back,"  replied  the  General,  rising  from  his 
recumbent  position,  "and  tell  General  Morgan  that  he 
is  mistaken.  The  main  attack  will  be  on  this  side,  and 
I  have  no  men  to  spare.  He  must  maintain  his  position 
at  all  hazards."  Then  looking  at  his  watch,  and  observ- 
ing that  it  was  past  one  o'clock,  he  exclaimed  aloud, 
addressing  his  sleeping  aids:  "Gentlemen,  we  have 
slept  enough.  Arise.  The  enemy  will  be  upon  us  in  a 
few  minutes  ;  I  must  go  and  see  Coffee."  The  aids  arose 
hastily  and  commenced  buckling  on  their  swords,  when 
Mr.  Shepherd  departed,  and  recrossing  the  river,  deli- 
vered the  reply  of  Jackson  to  Morgan. 

Jackson  did  not,  however,  neglect  Morgan;  but 
ordered  General  Adair  to  send  a  detachment  of  500 
Kentuckians  to  the  lines  on  the  right  bank.  This  detach 
ment  was  placed  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Davis. 
It  was  very  badly  armed  and  was  greatly  delayed  in 
crossing  the  river.  At  the  naval  arsenal,  on  the  right 
bank,  the  Kentuckians  received  some  old  muskets,  but 
when  they  commenced  their  march  to  join  Morgan, 
there  were  but  260  of  them  armed,  and  some  of  these 
had  common  pebbles  instead  of  flints  in  their  locks. 
They  were,  howtver,  hurried  forward  without  rest  or 
food,  and  after  a  fatiguing  march  of  five  or  six  miles 
arrived  at  Morgan's  lines ;  thence  they  were  ordered 
forward  to  the  advance  position  already  occupied  by 
Tessier.  They  arrived  here  greatly  fatigued,  and  formed 
on  Tessier's  left  but  a  few  moments  before  the  enemy 
appeared  in  sight. 


320  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

Morgan's  whole  force  consisted  of  812  men,  all  militia, 
and  but  poorly  armed.  On  his  left  he  had  two  six- 
pounders,  which  were  placed  in  charge  of  Adjutant 
John  Nixon  of  the  Louisiana  militia,  and  a  twelve- 
pounder  under  Lieutenant  Philibert  of  the  navy. 

Patterson's  battery  being  in  the  rear  of  and  masked 
by  Morgan's  lines,  could  not  be  used  in  defence  of  the 
same.  The  guns  were  turned  so  as  to  flank  the  front  of 
Jackson's  lines  on  the  left  bank. 

Such  were  the  arrangements  of  the  two  armies  for 
the  expected  final  combat. 

There  was  little  sleeping  in  the  American  lines  on 
the  night  of  the  7th.  The  men  were  all  engaged  in 
cleaning  their  pieces,  preparing  cartridges  and  perform- 
ing various  duties  of  preparation  for  the  conflict.  The 
outposts  and  scouting  parties  were  all  alive  as  usual, 
watching  every  movement  in  the  British  camp  with 
characteristic  American  curiosity.  They  could  hear 
very  distinctly  corresponding  notes  of  preparation  on 
the  enemy's  side,  among  which  were  the  noises  of  the 
workmen  engaged  in  reconstructing  the  redoubts,  near 
the  Chalmette  buildings,  which  had  been  destroyed  on 
the  1st  of  January. 

There  was  intense  anxiety,  but  no  fear  in  Jackson's 
little  army.  The  citizen  soldiers  had  now  grown  to  be 
veterans.  They  had  learned  to  confide  in  their  General, 
and  in  themselves,  and  if  these  were  not  sufficient  to 
nerve  their  arms  for  the  struggle,  the  recollection  of 
those  dear  ones,  who  then  reposed  in  the  city  behind 
them,  with  so  much  confidence  in  their  devotion  and 
heroism,  inspired  every  heart  with  heroic  courage  and 
determination. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  OELEANS.          321 


XVL 

THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS. 

THE   VICTORY. 
[The  Eighth  of  January,  1815.] 

BY  the  same  conveyance  which  brought  the  reinforce- 
ments of  Lambert,  the  British  soldiers  received  a  most 
acceptable  addition  to  their  comforts,  in  the  shape  of  a 
supply  of  fresh  provisions.  A  refreshing  supper  on  the 
evening  of  the  7th  produced  no  little  vivacity  in  the 
camp,  and  after  packing  their  knapsacks,  burnishing  their 
arms,  filling  their  cartridge-boxes,  and  arranging  their 
neatest  toggery,  that  they  might  appear  before  the 
famous  beauties  of  New  Orleans  to  the  greatest  advan- 
tage, the  soldiers  destined  to  storm  Jackson's  lines  lay 
down  to  refresh  their  bodies  for  the  coming  struggle. 
At  the  same  time,  Thornton  with  his  command,  moved 
to  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  the  men  were  drawn  up 
and  kept  waiting  for  the  boats  which  were  to  transport 
them  to  the  opposite  side.  The  patience  of  Thornton 
was  sorely  tried  by  the  delay  in  the  arrival  of  the  boats. 
After  the  British  had  excavated  a  canal  of  sufficient 
depth,  the  banks  began  to  cave  in  just  as  they  were 
dragging  the  boats  through  the  water,  and  thus  their 
progress  was  greatly  impeded.  The  providential  and 
quite  unexpected  falling  of  the  river  was  the  cause  of 


322  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

this  obstacle.  The  sailors  were  at  last  compelled  to  drag 
the  boats  through  the  mud,  and  were  thus  enabled  to 
launch  upon  the  river  about  one-fourth  of  the  boats 
needed,  by  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Dismissing 
one-half  of  his  force,  Thornton  ordered  his  own  regiment, 
a  division  of  sailors  and  a  company  of  marines,  to  crowd 
.into  the  boats,  making  about  seven  hundred  men,  and 
then  the  flotilla  under  Captain  Roberts  pushed  off  from 
the  left  bank  of  the  river.  This  was  not  Thornton's 
only  unexpected  obstacle.  Deceived  as  all  strangers  are 
by  the  quiet,  smooth  current  of  the  Mississippi,  Captain 
Roberts  imagined  that  the  oars  of  his  sailors  could  keep 
the  boats  right  ahead  and  enable  him  to  disembark  at  a 
point  opposite  that  of  his  departure.  He  was  grievously 
mistaken.  The  Mississippi  current  at  this  point  runs  at 
the  rate  of  five  miles  an  hour.  The  barges  of  the 
British,  instead  of  holding  up  against  the  current,  were 
swept  by  it  a  mile  and  a  half  down  the  stream.  Thus 
it  happened  that  before  Thornton's  detachments  could 
step  ashore,  the  eastern  sky  began  to  be  streaked  with 
the  light  of  the  coming  day. 

Long  after  the  men  in  the  British  camp  had  fallen 
asleep,  full  of  hope,  confidence,  of  bright  dreams  of 
wealth,  luxury,  and  spoils  of  "  booty  and  beauty,"  the 
officers  kept  awake  in  their  little  circles,  discussing  the 
chances  of  the  morrow's  combat.  The  older  and  more 
experienced  commanders,  to  whom  the  delay  in  bringing 
up  the  boats  was  known,  were  gloomy  and  desponding. 
Some  of  them  openly  expressed  their  belief  that  the 
ensemble  of  the  plan  was  lost,  and  it  would  have  to  be 
gone  over  again.  Col.  Dale,  of  the  93d  Highlanders,  ;i 
brave  and  thoughtful  officer,  being  asked  his  opinion, 
turned  to  Dr.  Dempster  of  his  regiment,  and  giving  him 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.          323 

his  watch  and  a  letter,  said  :  "  Deliver  these  to  ray  wife 
—I  shall  die  at  the  head  of  my  regiment."  The  conduct 
of  Col.  Mullens,  of  the  44th,  was  even  more  desponding, 
and  far  less  heroic.  His  wife,  an  elegant  lady,  was  then 
in  the  fleet,  and  had  come  over  to  grace  the  fashionable 
circles  of  New  Orleans.  She  had  been  the  life  of  the 
squadron,  contributing,  by  her  fascinating  manners  and 
vivacity,  to  brighten  many  of  the  dull  and  gloomy  hours 
of  the  long  voyage.  But  her  husband  was  far  from 
being  the  soul  of  the  army.  Son  of  a  lord,  he  had 
obtained  his  promotion  more  by  influence  than  merit. 
Among  the  officers  who  have  carved  out  their  names 
and  commissions,  by  their  own  good  swords,  the  desig- 
nation of  Mullens  to  lead  the  advance  of  the  storming 
party  was  ascribed  to  the  natural  esprit  de  corps  of  their 
aristocratic  commander,  himself  the  son  of  an  earl. 
Perhaps  they  were  correct,  but  Packenham  and  Mullens 
took  very  different  views  of  the  privileges  of  the  sons 
of  peers.  Packenham  regarded  that  an  honor  and  dis- 
tinction, which  he  frequently  enjoyed,  never  without 
glory,  and  never  without  grievous  wounds,  which 
Mullens  looked  upon  as  a  death  sentence.  He  had 
received  one  honorable  wound  at  Albuera,  and  that 
sufficed  to  fill  the  measure  of  his  ambition.  Besides, 
Colonel  Mullens,  whether  prompted  by  his  regard  for 
his  own  safety,  or  his  good  sense,  had  the  sagacity  to 
perceive  the  hopelessness  of  the  enterprise ;  and  to 
declare  that  conviction  in  the  hearing  of  both  officers 
and  men.  He  stated  that  his  regiment  had  been  ordered 
to  execution — that  their  dead  bodies  were  to  be  used  as 
a  bridge  for  the  remainder  of  the  army  to  march  over 
to  a  like  fate. 
The  young  officers  were  in  better  spirits.  They  had 


324:          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

no  doubt  of  their  success,  and  in  a  gay  and  jovial 
manner  discussed  their  individual  chances  in  the  battle, 
speculated  on  the  ulterior  results  of  the  campaign — on 
the  prospect  of  accumulating  fortunes — where  they 
would  be  quartered  in  the  city — what  frolics  they 
would  have — what  distinction  they  would  enjoy  in  the 
gay  society  of  New  Orleans — what  "jolly  letters  "  they 
would  write  home,  and  what  handsome  presents  they 
would  "  send  to  the  girls  they  left  behind  them,"  not 
forgetting  mothers,  wives,  sisters  and  cousins. 

About  the  hour  when  Jackson  aroused  his  aids,  Pack- 
enham  having  refreshed  himself  with  a  short  slumber, 
repaired  from  his  head-quarters  at  Villere"s  mansion,  to 
the  moutli  of  the  canal,  and  there  discovered  the  morti- 
fying delay  in  the  transportation  of  Thornton's  detach- 
ment across  the  river.  A  cooler  headed  commander 
would  have  perceived  the  serious  interruption  which 
this  accident  made  in  his  plan  of  operations,  and  con- 
formed his  other  movements  to  it.  In  other  words,  he 
would  have  countermanded  the  advance  on  the  left 
bank,  which  it  was  now  certain  must  follow  that  on  the 
right,  but  which,  if  executed  under  the  orders  that  had 
been  issued,  should  precede  it.  But  Packenham  was  a 
self-willed,  gallant  and  somewhat  reckless  man,  who 
believed  that  courage  and  daring  were  the  chief  reliance 
in  all  military  operations,  who  never,  like  Lysander, 
eked  out  the  lion's  skin  with  the  fox's.  The  orders  of 
the  7th  were,  therefore,  adhered  to. 

Before  day,  Gibbs'  and  Keane's  men  were  aroused 
from  their  lairs,  and  forming,  advanced  in  line  some 
distance  in  front  of  the  pickets,  about  400  or  500  yards 
from  the  American  lines.  Here  they  remained,  listen- 
ing in  anxious  suspense  for  the  firing  on  the  other  side 


THE   BATTLE   OF   NEW   ORLEANS.  325 

of  the  river.  Not  a  sound  could  be  heard  across  the 
calm  surface  of  the  great,  silent  Mississippi.  A  thick 
fog  involved  the  army,  and  shut  out  all  in  front  and 
rear  from  their  view.  The  minutes,  the  hours  flew 
rapidly  by,  and  not  a  sound  of  Thornton  could  be  heard. 
The  truth  was,  that  gallant  officer  had  not  even  landed 
his  men,  when  Gibbs  began  to  form  his  column  for  the 
advance.  The  mist  was  now  breaking.  The  American 
flag,  on  its  lofty  staff  in  the  centre  of  Jackson's  lines, 
began  to  wave  its  striped  and  starry  folds  above  the 
vapory  exhalations  from  the  earth,  within  full  view  of 
the  British  lines,  and  the  dark  mound,  behind  which  the 
guardians  of  that  standard  stood  with  arms  at  rest,  be- 
came faintly  visible.  On  the  mound  stood  many  a  sharp- 
eyed  soldier,  painfully  stretching  his  vision  to  catch  the 
first  glance  of  the  enemy,  that  he  might  announce  his 
approach,  or  have  the  first  fire  at  him.  This  honor  was 
reserved  for  Lieutenant  Spotts,  who,  perceiving  a  faint 
red  line  several  hundred  yards  in  front,  discharged  his 
heavy  gun  at  it.  Slowly  the  fog  rolled  up  and  thinned 
off,  revealing  the  whole  British  line  stretching  across 
two-thirds  of  the  plain.  At  the  same  moment  a  rocket 
shot  up  near  the  river ;  another  on  the  right,  near  the 
Bwamp ;  and  then  the  long  line  seemed  to  melt  away 
suddenly,  puzzling  the  American  gunners,  who  were 
just  bringing  their  pieces  to  bear  upon  it.  But  the 
British  had  only  changed  their  position  and  then 
deployed  into  column  of  companies. 

Forming  his  column  of  attack  in  admirable  order, 
Gibbs  now  advanced  towards  the  wood,  so  as  to  have 
its  cover,  the  44th  in  front,  followed  by  the  21st  and 
4th.  The  column  passed  the  redoubt  on  the  extreme 
right  of  the  British,  near  the  swamp,  where  the  men  of 


326          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

the  44th  were  directed  to  pack  the  ladders  and  fascines, 
at  the  same  time  stacking  their  muskets.  The  batteries  of 
Spotts'  No.  6,  and  Garrique's  No.  7,  and  the  Howitzer  No. 
8,  now  began  to  play  upon  the  column  with  some  effect. 
There  was  no  time  to  spare.  The  44th,  with  the  rest  of 
the  column,  rushed  past  the  redoubt,  some  of  the  men 
picking  up  a  few  fascines  and  ladders  as  they  marched, 
and,  fronting  towards  the  American  lines,  advanced 
steadily  in  compact  column,  bearing  their  muskets  at  a 
shoulder.  In  his  advance  Gibbs  obliqued  towards  the 
wood,  so  as  to  be  covered  by  the  projection  of  the 
swamp.  But  he  could  not  elude  the  fire  of  the  batteries, 
which  began  to  pour  round  and  grapeshot  into  his  lines 
with  destructive  effect.  It  was  at  this  moment  whispered 
through  the  column  that  the  44th  had  not  brought  the 
ladders  and  fascines.  Packenham  hearing  it,  rode  to 
the  front,  and  discovered  that  it  was  but  too  true.  He 
immediately  called  out  to  Colonel  Mullens,  who  was  at 
the  head  of  his  regiment,  "  To  file  to  the  rear  and  pro- 
ceed to  the  redoubt,  execute  the  order,  and  return  as 
soon  as  possible  with  his  regiment."  The  execution  of 
this  order  produced  some  confusion  in  the  column, 
and  some  delay  in  its  advance.  Gibbs,  indignant  at 
this  disturbance  and  the  disobedience  of  Mullens,  and 
perceiving  his  men  falling  around  him,  exclaimed  in  a 
loud  voice,  "  Let  me  live  till  to-morrow  and  I'll*hang 
him  to  the  highest  tree  in  that  swamp."  But  the  column 
could  not  stand  there  exposed  to  the  terrible  fire  of  the 
American  batteries,  waiting  for  the  44th,  and  so  Gibbs 
ordered  them  forward.  On  they  went,  the  21st  and  4tb, 
in  solid,  compact  column,  the  men  hurraing,  and  the 
rocketers  covering  their  front  with  a  blaze  of  their  com- 
bustibles. The  American  batteries  we  have  named  were 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW   ORLEANS.  327 

now  playing  upon  them  with  awful  effect,  cutting  great 
lanes  through  the  column  from  front  to  rear,  and  huge 
gaps  in  their  flanks.  These  intervals  were,  however, 
quickly  filled  up  by  the  gallant  Redcoats.  The  column 
advanced  without  pause  or  recoil  steadily  towards 
Spotts'  long  eighteen,  and  Chauveau's  six  (No.  9). 
Carroll's  men  were  all  in  their  places,  with  guns  sighted 
on  the  summit  of  the  parapet,  whilst  the  Kentuckians, 
in  two  lines,  stood  behind,  ready  to  take  the  places  of 
the  Tennesseeans  as  soon  as  their  pieces  were  discharged, 
thus  making  four  lines  in  this  part  of  the  entrenchment. 
There  they  stood  all  as  firm  as  veterans,  as  cool  and  cal- 
culating as  American  frontiersmen.  All  the  batteries  in 
the  American  line,  including  Patterson's  marine  battery 
on  the  right  bank,  began  now  to  join  those  on  the  left 
in  hurling  a  tornado  of  iron  missies  into  that  serried, 
scarlet  column,  which  shook  and  oscillated  like  a  huge 
painted  ship  tossed  on  an  angry  sea. 

"  Stand  to  your  guns,"  cried  Jackson,  as  he  glanced 
along  the  lines,  "  don't  waste  your  ammunition — see  that 
every  shot  tells." 

Again  he  exclaimed,  "  Give  it  to  them,  boys;  let  us 
finish  the  business  to-day." 

The  confused  and  reeling  army  of  Redcoats  had 
approached  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  ditch,  when 
the  loud  command  of  Carroll,  "  Fire !  fire  £*  rang 
through  the  lines.  The  order  was  obeyed,  not  hurriedly, 
excitedly,  and  confused,  but  calmly  and  deliberately,  by 
the  whole  of  Carroll's  command,  commencing  on  the 
left  of  the  44th.  The  men  had  previously  calculated  the 
range  of  their  guns,  and  not  a  shot  was  thrown  away. 
Their  bullets  swept  through  the  British  column,  cutting 
down  the  men  by  scores,  and  causing  its  head  and  flanks 


328          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

to  melt  away,  like  snow  before  a  torrent.  Nor  was  it 
one,  or  several  discharges  followed  by  pauses  and  inter- 
vals ;  but  the  fire  was  kept  up  without  interruption — the 
front  men  firing  and  falling  back  to  load.  •  Thus  the  four 
lines,  two  Tennesseeans  and  two  Kentuckians,  sharing  the 
labor  and  glory  of  the  most  rapid  and  destructive  fusil- 
ade  ever  poured  into  a  column  of  soldiers. 

For  several  minutes  did  that  terrible,  incessant  fire 
blaze  along  Carroll's  front,  and  that  rolling,  deafening, 
prolonged  thunder  fill  the  ears  and  confuse  the  sense  of 
•/the  astounded  Britons.  Those  sounds  will  never  cease 
to  reverberate  in  the  ears  of  all  who  survived  that  mer- 
ciless fire. 

The  roar  of  the  cannon,  the  hissing  of  the  shells,  the 
low,  rumbling  growl  of  the  musketry,  the  wild  scream 
of  the  rpckets,  the  whizzing  of  round  shot,  the  SAveeping 
blast  of  chain-shot  and  the  crash  of  grape,  formed  a 
horrid  concert. 

Then  was  seen  the  great  advantage  which  the  Ameri- 
cans possess  in  the  skill  with  which  they  handle  fire- 
arms— the  rapidity  with  which  they  load,  the  accuracy 
of  their  calculation,  and  the  coolness  of  their  aim — qual- 
ities developed^  their  frontier  life,  and  their  habit  of 
using  arms  from  boyhood. 

There  were  scarcely  more  than  fifteen  hundred  pieces 
brought  to  bear  on  the  British  column,  but  in  the  hands 
of  Tennesseeans  and  Kentuckians  they  were  made  as 
effective  as  ten  times  that  number,  fired  by  regulars  of 
the  best  armies  of  Europe.  Against  this  terrible  fire, 
Gibbs  boldly  led  his  column.  It  is  no  reflection  upon 
even  those  veterans,  to  say  that  they  halted,  wavered, 
and  shrunk  at  times,  when  the  crash  of  bullets  became 
most  terrible,  when  they  were  thus  shot  down  by  a  foe 


THE   BATTLE   OF   NTSVf   ORLEANS.  3-9 

whom  they  could  not  see.  But  the  gallant  Peninsular 
officers  threw  themselves  in  front,  inciting  and  arousing 
their  men  by  every  appeal,  and  by  the  most  brilliant 
examples  of  courage.  The  inen  cried  out,  "  "Where  are 
the  44th  ?  If  we  get  to  the  ditch  we  have  no  means  of 
scaling  the  lines  !"  "  Here  come  the  44th  !  here  come 
the  44th !"  shouted  Gibbs.  This  assurance  restored 
order  and  confidence  in  the  ranks.  There  came  at  least 
a  detachment  of  the  44th,  with  Packenham  himself  at 
their  head,  rallying  and  inspiring  them  by  appeals  to 
their  ancient  fame — reminding  them  of  the  glory  they 
had  acquired  in  Egypt  and  elsewhere,  and  addressing 
them  as  his  "  countrymen  "  (the  44th  were  mostly  Irish). 
The  men  came  up  gallantly  enough,  bearing  their  lad- 
ders and  fascines,  but  their  colonel  was  far  in  the  rear, 
being  unable,  even  with  the  assistance  of  a  servant,  to 
reach  his  post  over  the  rough  field.  Packenham  led 
them  forward,  and  they  were  soon  breasting  the  storm 
of  bullets  with  the  rest  of  the  column.  At  this  moment 
Packenham's  bridle  arm  was  struck  by  a  ball,  and  his 
horse  killed  by  another.  He  then  mounted  the  small 
black  creole  pony  of  his  Aid,  Captain  McDougall,  and 
pressed  forward.  But  the  column  had  advanced  now  as 
far  as  it  could  get.  Most  of  the  regimental  officers  were 
cut  down.  Patterson,  of  the  21st ;  Brookes,  of  the  4th ; 
and  Debbiegs,  of  the  44th,  were  all  disabled  at  the  heads 
of  their  regiments.  There  were  not  officers  enough  to 
command,  and  the  column  began  now  to  break  into 
detachments,  some  pushing  forward  to  the  ditch,  but  the 
greater  part  falling  back  to  the  rear  and  to  the  swamp, 
until  the  whole  front  was  cleared.  They  were  soon 
rallied  at  the  ditch,  were  re-formed,  and  throwing  off 
their  knapsacks,  advanced  again. 


330          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Keane,  judging  very  rashly,  that  the  moment  had 
arrived  for  him  to  act,  now  wheeled  his  line  into  column 
(it  had  been,  as  we  have  seen,  intended  as  a  reserve  to 
threaten,  without  advancing  upon  the  American  lines), 
and  with  the  93d  in  front,  pushed  forward  to  act  his 
part  in  the  bloody  tragedy.  The  gallant  and  stalwart 
Highlanders,  nine  hundred  strong,  strode  across  the 
ensanguined  field,  with  their  heavy,  solid,  massive  front 
of  a  hundred  men,  and  their  bright  muskets  glittering 
in  the  morning  sun,  which  began  now  to  scatter  a  few 
rays  over  the  field  of  strife.  Onward  pressed  the  Tartan 
warriors,  regardless  of  the  concentrated  fire  of  the  bat- 
teries, which  now  poured  their  iron  hail  into  their  ranks. 
At  a  more. rapid  pace  than  the  other  column,  the  93d 
rushed  forward  into  the  very  maelstroom  of  Carroll's 
musketry,  which  swept  the  field  as  if  with  a  huge  scythe. 
The  gallant  Dale  fulfilled  his  prophecy,  and  fell  at  the 
head  of  his  regiment,  a  gra'peshot  passing  through  his 
body.  Major  Creagh  then  took  the  command.  Incited 
by  the  example  of  the  93d,  the  remnant  of  Gibb's  bri- 
gade again  came  up  with  Packenham  on  their  left  and 
Gibbs  on  the  right.  They  had  approached  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  lines. 

At  this  moment  the  standard-bearer  of  the  93d  feeling 
something  rubbing  against  his  epaulette,  turned,  and 
perceived  through  the  smoke  the  small  black  horse 
which  Packenham  now  rode.  It  was  led  by  his  Aid,  as 
he  seemed  to  have  no  use  of  his  right  arm.  In  his  left 
hand  he  held  his  cap,  which  he  waved  in  the  air,  crying 
out,  "Hurra!  brave  Highlanders."  At  this  instant 
there  was  a  terrible  crash,  as  if  the  contents  of  one  of 
the  big  guns  of  the  Americans  had  fallen  on  the  spot, 
killing  and  wounding  nearly  all  who  were  near.  It  was 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.  331 

then  the  Ensign  of  the  93d  saw  the  horse  of  Pakenham 
fall,  and  the  General  roll  from  the  saddle  into  the  arms 
of  Captain  McDougall,  who  sprang  forward  to  receive 
him.  A  grape-shot  had  struck  the  General  on  the  thigh, 
and  passed  through  his  horse,  killing  the  latter  immedi- 
ately. As  Captain  McDougall  and  some  of  the  men 
were  raising  the  General,  another  ball  struck  him  in  the 
groin,  which  produced  an  immediate  paralysis.  It  is 
an  interesting  coincidence  that  Captain  McDougall  was 
the  same  officer  into  whose  arms  General  Ross  had 
fallen  from  his  horse  in  the  advance  on  Baltimore.  The 
wounded  and  dying  General  was  borne  to  the  rear,  and 
laid  down  in  the  shade  of  a  venerable  live-oak,  standing 
in  the  centre  of  the  field,  beyond  the  reafch  of  the 
American  guns.  A  surgeon  was  called,  who  pronounced 
his  wound  mortal.  In  a  few  minutes  the  gallant  young 
officer  breathed  his  last,  and  his  faithful  Aid  had  to 
lament  the  death  of  another  heroic  chief,  who,  after 
winning  laurels  that  entitled  him  to  repose  and  glory 
enough  for  life,  perished  thus  ingloriously  in  a  war  of 
unjust  invasion  against  his  own  race  and  kindred. 
The  old  oak  under  which  Packenham  yielded  up  his  soul 
still  stands,  bent  and  twisted  by  time  and  many  tempests 
— a  melancholy  monument  of  that  great  disaster  of  the 
British  arms ! 

Gibbs  fared  even  worse  than  Packenham,  for  despe- 
rately wounded  shortly  after  the  fall  of  the  General-in- 
Chief,  he,  too,  was  borne  to  the  rear,  and  lingered  many, 
many  hours,  in  horrible  agony,  until  the  day  after,  when 
deatli  came  to  his  relief.  Keane  also  fell  badly  wounded, 
being  shot  through  the  neck,  and  was  carried  off  the 
field.  There  were  now  no  field  officers  to  command  or 
rally  the  broken  column.  Major  Wilkinson,  Brigade 


332          JAOK80N  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Major,  shouted  to  the  men  to  follow,  and  pushed  for- 
ward. 

Followed  and  aided  by  Lieutenant  Lavack  and 
twenty  men,  he  succeeded  in  passing  the  ditch,  and  had 
clambered  up  the  breastwork,  when,  just  as  he  raised 
his  head  and  shoulders  over  its  summit,  a  dozen  guns 
were  brought  to  bear  against  him,  and  the  exposed 
portions  of  his  body  were  riddled  with  bullets.  He 
had,  however,  strength  to  raise  himself,  and  fell  upon 
the  parapet,  whence  his  mutilated  body  was  borne,  with 
every  expression  of  pity  and  sympathy,  by  the  gene- 
rous Kentuckians  and  Tennesseeans,  to  a  place  of 
shelter  in  the  rear  of  the  camp.  Here  the  gallant 
Briton  received  every  attention  which  could  be  ren- 
dered to  him.  Major  Smiley,  of  the  Kentuckians,  a 
kind-hearted  gentleman,  endeavored  to  cheer  the  spiiits 
of  the  dying  soldier,  saying,  "  Bear  up,  my  dear  fellow, 
you  are  too  brave  a  man  to  die."  "  I  thank  you  from 
my  heart,"  faintly  murmured  the  young  officer.  "  It 
is  all  over  with  me.  You  can  render  me  a  favor ;  it  is 
to  communicate  to  my  commander  that  I  fell  on  your 
parapet,  and  died  like  a  soldier  and  a  true  Englishman." 
In  two  hours  the  gallant  Wilkinson  was  a  corpse,  and 
his  body  was  respectfully  covered  with  one  of  the  colors 
of  the  volunteers. 

After  the  fall  of  Wilkinson,  the  men  who  followed 
him  threw  themselves  into  the  ditch.  Some  made  fee- 
ble efforts  to  climb  up  the  parapet,  but  it  was  too 
slippery,  and  they  rolled  into  the  fosse.  The  majority, 
however,  were  satisfied  lo  cower  under  the  protection 
of  the  entrenchment,  where  they  were  allowed  a 
momentary  respite  and  shelter  from  the  American  fire. 
The  remainder  of  the  column  broken,  disorganized,  and 


THE   BATTLE   OF  NEW   OKLEAN8.  333 

panic-stricken,  retired  in  confusion  and  terror,  each 
regiment  leaving  two-thirds  of  its  men  dead  or  wounded 
on  the  field.  The  93d,  which  had  advanced  with  nine 
hundred  men  and  twenty-five  officers,  could  muster  but 
one  hundred  and  thirty  men  and  nine  officers,  who  now 
stole  rapidly  from  the  bloody  field,  their  bold  courage 
all  changed  into  wild  dismay.  The  other  regiments 
suffered  in  like  manner,  especially  the  21st,  which  had 
lost  five  hundred  men.  The  fragments  of  the  two  gal- 
lant brigades  fell  back  precipitately  towards  the  rear. 

At  this  moment  Lambert,  hearing  of  the  death  of 
Packenham  and  the  severe  wounds  of  Gibbs  and  Keane, 
advanced  slowly  and  cautiously  forward  with  the  reserve. 
Just  before  he  received  his  last  wound,  Packenham  had 
ordered  Sir  John  Tyndell,  one  of-  his  Staff,  to  order  up 
the  reserve.  As  the  bugler  was  about  to  sound  the 
"  advance,"  by  order  of  Sir  John,  his  right  arm  was 
struck  with  a  ball,  and  his  bugle  fell  to  the  ground. 
The  order  was  accordingly  never  given,  and  the  reserve 
only  marched  up  to  cover  the  retreat  of  the  broken 
columns  of  the  two  other  brigades. 

Thus,  in  less  than  twenty-five  minutes  was  the  main 
attack  of  the  British  most  disastrously  repelled,  and  the 
two  brigades  nearly  destroyed.  On  their  left  they  had 
achieved  a  slight  success,  which  threatened  serious  con- 
sequences to  the  American  lines.  Here  the  advance  of 
Keane's  brigade,  consisting  of  the  95th  rifles,  the  light 
infantry  companies  of  the  7th,  93d,  and  43d,  and  seve- 
ral companies  of  the  West  India  regiments — in  all, 
nearly  a  thousand  men,  under  the  gallant  and  active 
officer,  Colonel  »Rennie,  of  the  21st — had  crept  up  so 
suddenly  on  the  Americans,  as  to  surprise  their  outpost 
and  reach  the  redoubt  about  as  soon  as  the  advance 


334:  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

guard  of  the  Americans,  which  was  threatened  by 
Gibbs's  advance,  had  fallen  back  from  their  left,  and 
was  now  hurrying  into  their  lines.  The  British  were  so 
close  upon  the  retiring  guard,  that  the  Americans  were 
unable  to  open  their  batteries  upon  them,  fearing  that 
they  would  kill  some  of  their  own  men.  It  was  with 
difficulty  that  Humphrey  could  keep  his  gunners  from 
applying  the  match  to  his  pieces  that  completely  com- 
manded the  road,  down  which  the  Americans  mingled 
with  the  pursuing  British,  were  retiring.  At  last, 
reaching  the  redoubt,  the  Americans  clambered  over 
the  embankment  and  the  leading  files  of  the  British 
following,  succeeded  in  also  gaining  the  interior,  where, 
being  supported  by  others,  they  engaged  in  a  hand-to- 
hand  fight  with  the  soldiers  of  the  7th  infantry,  whom 
they  drove  out  into  the  lines,  which  were  reached  by  a 
plank  across  the  ditch  separating  the  redoubt  from  the 
main  lines.  But  they  did  not  hold  the  redoubt  long,  for 
now  the  7th  infantry  began  to  direct  its  whole  fire  upon 
-the  interior  of  the  redoubt,  which  very  soon  made  it  too 
hot  for  the  British.  In  the  meantime,  the  mainbody  of 
the  detachment  advanced  in  two  columns,  one  on  the 
road,  and  the  other  filing  along  the  river  under  cover  of 
the  Levee. '  The  7th  infantry  and  Humphrey's  batteries 
poured  into  the  column  on  the  road  a  most  destructive 
fire.  Those  on  the  river  bank  were  protected  by  the 
Levee  from  the  fire  of  the  batteries,  and  troops  in  the 
lines,  but  attracted  the  attention  of  the  hawk-eyed  Pat- 
terson, on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  who  gave  them 
scattering  volleys  of  grape,  which  strewed  the  river 
bank  with  the  dead  and  wounded.  It  was  here,  Rennio 
advanced  at  the  head  of  his  command.  He  had  been 
struck  on  the  calf  of  the  leg  by  a  grape  shot,  which 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.          335 

tore  a  ghastly  wound.  He  still  pressed  on,  huzzaing 
and  encouraging  his  men.  The  heroic  bearing  of  this 
gallant  officer  rushing  so  impetuously  into  the  very 
jaws  of  death,  excited  a  tin-ill  of  admiration  in  those 
Americans  who  observed  his  conduct.  Perhaps  this 
feeling  obtained  for  Bennie  a  brief  respite,  and  reserved 
for  him  the  only  glory  which  was  achieved  by  the  Bri- 
tish on  that  field.  Advancing  with  several  other  officers 
and  men,  he  reached  the  ditch  on  the  extreme  right, 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  river's  edge,  and  climbing  up 
the  parapet,  gained  the  summit  of  the  breastwork. 
The  Orleans  Bines,  who  defended  this  part  of  the  line, 
fell  back  a  few  yards,  in  order  to  have  better  aim. 
Bennie,  with  two  others — Captain  Henry,  of  the  7th 
infantry,  a  tall  and  stalwart  Irishman,  and  Major  King, 
of  the  same  regiment — gained  the  breastwork,  and  wav- 
ing his  sword,  shouted  in  a  loud  voice,  "  Hurra,  boys, 
the  day  is  ours !"  The  words  had  barely  passed  his 
lips  (and  they  were  distinctly  heard  within  the  Ameri- 
can lines)  when  the  sharp  cracking  report  of  the  Bines 
gave  awful  warning  of  the  fate  of  the  adventurous; 
Britons.  They  had  made  themselves  the  targets  for  the 
famous  marksmen  of  New  Orleans.  Their  dead  bodies, 
rolling  heavily  from  the  parapet  into  thexlitch,  justified 
the  reputation  of  the  Bines  as  sharp-shooters.  There- 
upon, the  remainder  of  Bennie's  column  fell  back,  hur- 
rying to  the  rear  as  rapidly  as  they  could  under  cover 
of  the  Levee.  That  portion  of  the  detachment  which 
had  advanced  on  the  road,  suffered  greatly  from  the  fire 
of  Humphrey's,  Norris,  You's,  and  Bluche's  batteries, 
and  from  the  well-directed  musketry  of  the  7th  infantry, 
and  was  soon  compelled  to  retire  in  disorder.  This 
attack  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  American  lines 


336  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

occurred  at  the  same  time  with  the  first  advance  of 
Gibbs's  column  on  the  left. 

There  is  some  force  in  the  suggestion  of  a  British  offi- 
cer, writing  of  these  events,  that  it  would  have  been 
wiser  for  Keane,  with  his  main  column,  to  have  followed 
up  his  advance  and  thrown  his  whole  force  upon  the 
American  right,  where  Rennie  succeeded  in  scaling  the 
parapet. 

As  the  detachments  on  the  road  advanced,  their 
bugler,  a  boy  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  climbing  a  small 
tree  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  American  lines, 
straddled  a  limb  and  continued  to  blow  the  "  charge  " 
with  all  his  power.  There  he  remained  during  the 
whole  action,  whilst  the  cannon  balls  and  bullets 
ploughed  the  ground  around  him,  killed  scores  of  men, 
and  tore  even  the  branches  of  the  tree  in  which  he  sat. 
Above  the  thunder  of  the  artillery,  the  rattling  of  fire 
the  musketry,  and  all  the  din  and  uproar  of  the  strife, 
the  shrill  blast  of  the  little  bugler  could  be  heard,  and 
even  when  his  companions  had  fallen  back  and  retreated 
from  the  field,  he  continued  true  to  his  duty,  and  blew 
the  charge  with  undiminished  vigor.  At  last,  when  the 
British  had  entirely  abandoned  the  ground,  an  Ameri- 
can soldier,  passing  from  the  lines,  captured  the  little 
bugler  and  brought  him  into  camp,  where  he  was 
greatly  astounded,  when  some  of  the  enthusiastic 
Creoles,  who  had  observed  his  gallantry,  actually 
embraced  him,  and  officers  and  men  vied  with  each 
other  in  acts  of  kindness  to  so  gallant  a  little  soldier. 

A  more  melancholy  spectacle  was  presented,  when 
some  of  the  Americans  brought  within  the  lines  the 
bodies  of  Colonel  Kennie  and  the  two  other  officers  who 
had  fallen  in  the  ditch.  There  arose  a  warm  discussion 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW   ORLEANS.  387 

among  the  Rifles  for  the  honor  of  having  "  brought 
down"  the  Colonel.  Withers,  the  crack  shot  of  the 
company  then,  and  for  a  long  time  after  a  highly 
respectable  merchant  of  New  Orleans,  exclaimed  : 
.  "  If  he  isn't  hit  above  the  eyebrows,  it  wasn't  my 
shot !"  On  examination  it  was  discovered  that  the  bul- 
let had  entered  the  head  of  the  gallant  Briton  just  over 
the  eyebrows.  Withers  was,  therefore,  recognized  as 
his  slayer,  and  the  mournful  duty  was  devolved  upon 
him  of  preserving  the  valuables,  including  the  watch, 
purse,  and  epaulette  of  the  unfortunate  officer,  and 
transmitting  them  to  his  widow,  who  was  then  in  the 
fleet  lying  off  the  coast.  The  two  other  officers  killed 
with  Rennie,  Captain  Henry,  of  the  fan,  and  Major 
King,  of  the  same  regiment,  were  fairly  riddled  with 
rifle  balls ;  the  first  named  having  received  no  less  than 
five  balls  in  various  parts  of  his  body.  Henry  and 
King  were  in  full  uniform,  Rennie  wore  his  grey  over- 
coat. 

Whilst  this  terrible  slaughter,  was  being  enacted  on 
the  extreme  right  and  left  of  the  American  lines,  the 
centre  remained  inactive.  A  few  men  on  the  right  of 
Plaudit's  battalion  fired  without  orders,  when  the  7th 
infantry  commenced  their  fire,  but  they  were  quickly 
silenced  by  their  officers  as  the  enemy  were  too  far  off, 
and  they  only  wasted  their  ammunition.  From 
Plauche's  battalion  to  the  left  of  the  44th,  including 
Plauch6X  Daquin's,  and  Lacoste's  battalions,  and  the 
44th,  at  least  eight  hundred  men,  not  a  gun  was  fired, 
save  a  few,  which  were  discharged  at  an  angle  of  forty- 
five  degrees,  in  order  that  the  bullets  might  fall  into  the 
ranks  of  the  enemy,  and  a  few  scattering  shots  by  the 
left  company  of  the  44th,  which,  however,  were 

15 


338  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

instantly  suppressed.  The  gallant  volunteers  chafed 
with  impatience  at  the  restraints  to  which  they  were 
thus  subjected  in  being  compelled  to  look  on,  idle  spec- 
tators, of  so  glorious  a  conflict.  They  could  with 
difficulty  be  prevented  from  stealing  from  their  posts  to 
the  right  or  left,  to  have  a  shot  at  the  capotes  rouges. 
If,  however,  they  did  not  contribute  to  the  predominant 
music  of  the  conflict,  the  roar  of  the  cannon  and  the 
rattling  of  musketry,  they  served  to  enliven  and  vary 
the  monotony  of  those  sounds,  and  offered  an  additional 
stimulant  to  the  courage  and  ardor  of  the  men,  by  the 
inspiriting  melody  of  their  fine  band. 

It  is  a  rare  circumstance  in  a  battle,  that  martial 
music  can  be  sustained  throughout  the  action.  In  the 
American  army,  such  an  occurrence  was  a  phenomenon 
never  before  observed  in  any  battle.  The  moment  the 
British  came  into  view  and  their  signal  rocket  pierced 
the  sky  with  its  fiery  train,  the  band  of  the  Batta- 
lion D'Orleans  struck  up  "  Yankee  Doodle " — and 
thenceforth,  throughout  the  action,  it  did  not  cease  to 
discourse  all  the  national  and  military  airs  in  which  it 
had  been  instructed.  The  British  had  not  this  incentive. 
Their  musical  instruments  had  never  been  taken  from 
the  box  in  which  they  were  afterwards  found  by  the 
Americans.  They  advanced  with  no  blasts  of  trumpet, 
with  no  stirring  roll  of  drums  and  li  vely  notes  of  the 
piercing  fife — with  not  even  the  monotonous  martial 
scream  of  the  bagpipe,  arousing  the  pride  and  heroism 
of  the  Highlanders.  A  few  buglers  in  the  light  infan- 
try regiments  contributed  the  only  musical  sounds,  to 
relieve,  on  their  side,  the  awful  din  and  tumult  of  the 
battle. 

Subtracting  the   centre   of  Jackson's  lines  already 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.          339 

enumerated,  at  least  one-half  of  Coffee's  men,  who 
never  tired  a  gun,  and  a  large  number  of  Kentuckians, 
whose  pieces  were  so  defective  as  according  to  the  tes- 
timony of  some  persons,  to  place  the  Tennesseeans  in 
more  danger  from  their  friends  and  supporters  in  the 
rear  than  from  their  enemies  in  front,  there  were 
actually  less  than  half  of  Jackson's  whole  force  engaged 
in  the  battle.  There  is  no  instance  in  history  where  so 
small  a  force  achieved  such  destructive  results.  It  is 
true,  the  batteries  contributed  largely  to  these  results, 
but  not  to  the  extent  that  is  generally  estimated,  as  the 
heaviest  of  Jackson's  guns  were  kept  quite  busy  return- 
ing the  fire  of  the  two  batteries,  which  the  British  had 
thrown  up  on  the  night  of  the  7th,  in  the  centre  of  the 
field  and  near  the  road,  on  the  ruins  of  Chalmette's  estab- 
lishment, from  which  they  maintained  a  continuous  fire 
during  and  after  the  advance  of  the  storming  parties. 
Norris',  Crawley's,  You's  and  Bluche's  batteries  gave 
their  particular  attention  to  these  batteries,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  silencing  them  shortly  after  the  general  retro- 
grade movement  of  the  British  lines.  In  the  swamp, 
on  the  extreme  right,  the  British  had  thrown  out  a 
detachment  of  skirmishers  under  Lieut.  Colonel  Jones 
of  the  4th.  These  succeeded  in  getting  quite  near 
Coffee's  men,  but  becoming  mired,  were  either  killed  or 
captured  by  the  Tennesseeans,  who  astonished  the 
Britons  by  the  squirrel-like  agility  with  which  they 
jumped  from  log  to  log,  and  their  alligator-like  facility 
of  moving  through  the  water,  bushes  and  mud.  Some 
of  the  prisoners  taken  in  the  swamp  were  of  the  West 
India  Regiment,  who  were  greatly  comforted  in  their 
forlorn  position  by  the  idea  that  they  were  captives  of 
men  of  their  own  color  and  blood,  deceived  by  the 


34:0  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

appearance  of  the  Tennesseeans,  who,  from  their  con- 
stant exposure,  their  familiarity  with  gunpowder,  and 
their  long  unacquaintance  with  the  razor,  or  any  other 
implement  of  the  toilette,  were  certainly  not  fair  repre- 
sentatives of  the  pure  Caucasian  race.  The  unfortunate 
red-coated  Africans  soon  discovered  their  error,  when 
they  were  required  by  their  facetious  captors  to  "  dance 
juba"  in  mud  a  foot  deep. 

It  was  eight  o'clock — two  hours  since  the  action  com- 
menced— before  the  musketry  ceased  firing.  As  long 
as  there  was  a  British  soldier  visible,  though  at  a  dis- 
tance which  rendered  it  quite  futile  to  endeavor  to 
reach  him  with  musket  or  rifle,  a  cartridge  would  be 
wasted  in  the  vain  attempt.  At  last  the  order  was 
passed  down  the  lines  to  "  cease  firing,"  and  the  men, 
panting  with  fatigue  and  excitement,  rested  on  their 
arms.  At  this  moment  Jackson,  who  during  the  whole 
action,  had  occupied  a  prominent  position  near  the  right 
of  Plauche"'s  battalion,  where  he  could  command  a  view 
of  the  whole  entrenchment,  now  passed  slowly  down 
the  lines,  accompanied  by  his  staff,  halting  about  the 
centre  of  each  command,  and  addressing  to  its  com- 
mander and  the  men,  words  of  praise  and  grateful  com- 
mendation. His  feeble  body  now  stood  erect,  and  his 
face,  relaxing  its  usual  sternness,  glowed  with  the  lire 
of  a  proud  victor  in  the  noblest  of  all  causes,  the 
defence  of  his  country's  flag,  the  protection  of  the  lives, 
the  property,  and  honor  of  a  free  peorle.  And  as  he 
passed,  the  band  struck  up  "  Hail  Columbia,"  and  the 
whole  line,  now  for  the  first  time  facing  to  the  rear, 
burst  forth  into  loud  and  prolonged  hurras  to  the  Chief, 
by  whose  -indomitable  heroism  and  energy  they  had 
been  enabled  to  inflict  so  awful  a  punishment  upon  the 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  OELEAN8.         341 

enemy,  who  had  invaded  their  homes  and  sought  to  dis- 
honor their  flag.  But  these  notes  of  exultation  died 
away  into  sighs  of  pity,  and  exclamations  of  horror  and 
commiseration,  as  soon  as  the  artillery,  which  had  kept 
up  the  fire  at  intervals  after  the  musketry  ceased,  being 
silenced,  the  smoke,  ascending  from  the  field,  revealed 
a  spectacle  which  sent  a  thrill  of  horror  along  that 
whole  line  of  exultant  victors.  The  bright  column  and 
long  red  lines  of  a  splendid  army,  which  occupied  the 
field  where  it  was  last  visible  to  the  Americans,  had 
disappeared  as  if  by  some  supernatural  agency.  Save 
the  hundreds  of  miserable  creatures  who  rolled  over  the 
field  in  agony,  or  crawled  and  dragged  their  shattered 
limbs  over  the  muddy  plain,  not  a  living  foe  could  be 
seen  by  the  naked  eye.  The  commanders,  with  their 
telescopes,  succeeded,  with  some  difficulty,  in  discover- 
ing, far  in  the  rear,  a  faint  red  line,  which  indicated  the 
position  of  General  Lambert,  with  his  reserve,  stationed 
in  a  ditch,  in  what  that  officer  designated  in  his  dis- 
patch, a  supine  position,  meaning  that  the  men,  after 
getting  into  the  ditch,  which  covered  them  to  the  waist, 
leaned  over  flat  on  their  faces,  and  thus  escaped  the 
cannon-balls  of  the  Americans.  These  were  the  only 
live  objects  visible  in  the  field,  but  with  the  dead  it  was 
so  thickly  strewn,  that  from  the  American  ditch  you 
could  have  walked  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  front  on 
the  bodies  of  the  killed  and  disabled.  The  space  in 
front  of  Carroll's  position,  for  an  extent  of  two  hundred 
yards,  was  literally  covered  with  the  slain.  The  course 
of  the  column  could  be  distinctly  traced  in  the  broad, 
red  line  of  the  victims  of  the  terrible  batteries  and 
unerring  guns  of  the  Americans.  They  fell  in  their 
tracks  :  in  some  places,  whole  platoons  lay  togetter,  as 


342  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

if  killed  by  the  same  discharge.  Dressed  in  their  gay 
uniforms,  cleanly  shaved  and  attired  for  the  promised 
victory  and  triumphal  entry  into  the  city,  these  stalwart 
men  lay  on  the  gory  field,  frightful  examples  of  the  hor- 
rors of  war.  Strangely,  indeed,  did  they  contrast  with 
those  ragged,  unshorn,  begrimed,  and  untidy,  strange- 
looking,  long-haired  men,  who,  crowding  the  American 
parapet,  coolly  surveyed  a.nd  commented  upon  the  ter- 
rible destruction  they  had  caused.  There  was  not  a 
private  among  the  slain,  whose  aspect  did  not  present 
more  of  the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  war,  than  any 
of  the  commanders  of  the  victors.  In  the  ditch  there 
were  no  less  than  forty  dead,  and  at  least  a  hundred 
who  were  wounded,  or  who  had  thrown  themselves 
into  it  for  shelter.  On  the  edge  of  the  woods  there 
were  many,  who,  being  slightly  wounded,  or  imable  to 
reach  the  rear,  had  concealed  themselves  under  the 
brush  and  in  the  trees.  It  was  pitiable,  indeed,  to  see 
the  writhings  of  the  disable^  and  mutilated,  and  to  hear 
their  terrible  cries  for  help  and  water,  which  arose  from 
every  quarter  of  the  plain.  As  this  scene  of  death, 
desolation,  bloodshed  and  suffering,  came  into  full  view 
of  the  American  lines,  a  profound  and  melancholy 
silence  pervaded  the  victorious  army.  No  sounds  of 
exultation  or  rejoicing  were  now  heard.  Pity  and  sym- 
pathy had  succeeded  to  the  boisterous  and  savage 
feelings  which  a  few  minutes  before  had  possessed  their 
souls.  They  saw  no  longer  the  presumptuous,  daring, 
and  insolent  invader,  who  had  come  four  thousand 
miles  to  lay  waste  a  peaceful  country  ;  they  forgot  their 
own  suffering  and  losses,  and  the  barbarian  threats  of 
the  enemy,  and  now  only  perceived  humanity,  fellow- 
creatures  in  their  own  form,  reduce4  to  the  most  help- 


THE  BATTLE  OP  NEW  ORLEANS.         343 

less,  miserable,  and  pitiable  of  all  conditions  of  suffering, 
desolation  and  distress.  Prompted  by  this  motive, 
many  of  the  Americans  stole  without  leave  from  their 
positions,  and  with  their  canteens  proceeded  to  assuage 
the  thirst  and  render  other  assistance  to  the  wounded. 
The  latter,  and  those  who  were  captured  in  the  ditch, 
were  led  into  the  lines,  where  the  wounded  received 
prompt  attention  from  Jackson's  medical  staff.  .  Many 
of  the  Americans  carried  their  disabled  enemies  into 
the  camp  on  their  backs,  as  the  pious  Eneas  bore  his 
feeble  parent  from  burning  Troy.  Some  of  the  British 
soldiers  in  the  ditch,  not  understanding  the  language  of 
the  free  men  of  color  who  went  to  their  assistance,  and 
thinking  that  their  only  object  was  to  murder  or  rob, 
h'red  upon  them.  This  at  least  is  their  only  apology  for* 
conduct,  which  was  regarded  as  very  atrocious,  and 
produced  considerable  excitement  in  the  American 
lines.  The  Americans  thusi  killed  and  wounded  were 
unarmed,  and  were  engaged  in  the  duty  of  the  good 
Samaritan,  attending  the  wounded  and  relieving  the 
distressed.  It  has  been  charged  that  they  were  tired 
upon  by  order  of  the  British  officers,  out  of  chagrin  and 
mortification  for  their  defeat.  If  this  be  true,  it  is  a 
pity  that  the  names  of  such  officers  could  not  be  known, 
that  they  might  be  separated  from  those  whose  conduct 
throughout  the  campaign  proved  them  to  be  honorable 
and  gallant  soldiers,  and  high-toned  gentlemen.  In  this 
manner  several  Americans  w6re  killed  and  wounded. 
Indeed  more  casualties  occurred  to  the  Americans  after 
the  battle  than  in  the  principal  action.  The  British 
evidently  mistook  the  humane  purposes  of  the  Ameri- 
cans, and  even  when  there  was  no  other  alternative, 


344          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

manifested  a  disposition  to  resist  capture.  One  officer, 
who  was  slightly  wounded,  declined  surrendering  to 
one  of  the  Tennesseeans,  whose  appearance  was  not 
very  impressive,  and  disregarding  his  call,  was  walking 
off,  when  the  Tennesseean,  drawing  bead  on  him,  cried 
out,  "  Halt,  Mr.  Red  Coat :  one  more  step  and  I'll  drill 
a  hole  through  your  leather;"  whereupon  the  officer 
surrendered — exclaiming  at  the  same  time,  "What  a 
disgrace  for  a  British  officer  to  have  to  surrender  to  a 
chimney-sweep !" 

Of  course  there  was  a  general  desire  among  the 
Americans  to  procure  some  lawful  trophy — some 
memento  of  their  great  victory  ;  and  many  of  the  men 
wandered  over  the  field  in  pursuit  thereof.  They  were 
quite  successful  in  securing  many  such  mementoes, 
among  which  were  the  field  glass  of  Packenham,  and 
an  elegant  sword,  believed  to  be  Packenham's,  but 
which  was  afterwards  claimed  by  General  Keane,  and 
delivered  to  him  by  order  of  Jackson.  Packenham's 
glass  was  identified,  and  remained  in  the  possession  of 
Colonel,  afterwards  General,  Garrique  Fleaujac,  who 
commanded  one  of  the  batteries  on  the  left.  The  trum- 
pets of  Gibbs  and  Keane  were  also  picked  up  on  the 
field,  and  became  the  property  of  Coffee's  brigade.  At 
least  a  thousand  stand  of  arms  were  gathered  by  the 
Americans  from  the  scene  of  the  slaughter.  The  prison- 
ers and  wounded  being  now  collected  within  the  lines, 
were  placed  in  carts  or  formed  into  detachments  to  be 
sent  up  to  the  city.  Every  attention  was  given  to  their 
relief  and  comfort.  Many  of  the  prisoners  seemed  not 
at  all  disheartened  by  their  capture,  but  indeed  gave 
manifestations  of  joy  and  satisfaction,  especiallv  +v>* 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.         345 

Irish,  who  declared  that  they  did  not  know  whither 
they  were  bound  when  they  left  the  old  country — that 
they  never  wanted  to  fight  the  Americans. 

"  Why,  then,"  asked  some  of  the  American  guard,  "did 
you  march  up  so  boldly  to  our  lines,  in  face  of  such  a 
fire  ?"  "  And  'faith  were  we  not  obliged,  with  the  offi- 
cers behind,  sticking  and  stabbing  'us  with  their  swords." 
There  were  unmistakable  proofs  of  the  truth  of  this 
remark  on  the  bodies  of  many  of  the  men,  whose  clothes 
and  flesh  were  cut  evidently  with  sharp  instruments. 

Some  distance  in  the  rear  of  Jackson's  lines,  the 
greater  part  of  the  adult  population  of  New  Orleans, 
not  connected  with  the  army,  were  gathered  in  anxious 
suspense,  observing  the  progress  of  the  battle,  and 
receiving  with  the  most  greedy  zest  and  intense  anxi- 
ety, every  fact  or  rumor,  which  passed  from  the  front 
to  the  rear  sentinels.  Far  towards  the  swamp  a  num- 
ber of  boys,  eager  to  see  what  was  going  on,  climbed 
the  trees,  and  thus  commanded  a  distant,  but  rather 
confused  view  of  the  battle.  When  the  guns  ceased 
firing,  and  after  the  terrific  tumult  of  the  battle,  which 
could  be  distinctly  heard  far  to  the  rear,  and  even  in 
the  city,  had  settled  into  silence  and  quiet,  only  broken 
by  the  loud  hurras  of  the  Americans,  the  anxious  spec- 
tators and  listeners  in  the  rear,  quickly  comprehending 
the  glorious  result,  caught  up  the  sounds  of  exultation 
and  echoed  them  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  until  the 
glad  tidings  reached  the  city,  sent  a  thrill  of  joy  through- 
out its  limits,  and  brought  the  whole  population  into 
the  streets  to  give  full  vent  to  their  extravagant  joy. 
The  streets  resounded  with  hurras.  The  only  military 
force  in  the  city,  the  veterans,  under  their  indefatigable 
commander,  the  noble  old  patriot  soldier,  Captain  De 


34:6          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Buys,  hastily  assembled,  and  with  a  drum  and  fife 
paraded  the  streets  amid  the  salutes  and  hurras  of  the 
people,  the  waving  of  the  snowy  handkerchiefs  of  the 
ladies,  and  the  boundless  exultation  and  noisy  joy  of  the 
juveniles.  Every  minute  brought  forth  some  new  proof 
of  the  great  and  glorious  victory.  First,  there  came  a 
messenger,  whose  horse  had  been  severely  taxed,  who 
inquired  for  the  residences  of  the  physicians  of  the  city, 
and  dashed  madly  through  the  streets  in  pursuit  of  sur- 
geons and  apothecaries.  All  of  the  profession,  whether 
in  practice  or  not,  were  required  to  proceed  to  the  lines, 
as  their  services  were  needed  immediately.  "For 
whom  ?"  was  the  question  which  agitated  the  bosom  of 
many  an  anxious  parent  and  devoted  wife,  and  for  a 
moment  clouded  and  checked  the  general  hilarity. 
Soon  it  was  known,  however,  that  this  demand  for  sur- 
geons was  on  account  of  the  enemy.  All  who  possessed 
any  knowledge  of  the  curative  art,  who  could  amputate 
or  set  a  limb,  or  take  up  an  artery,  hurried  to  the  camp. 
Next  there  came  up  a  message  from  the  camp  to  dis- 
patch all  the  carts  and  other  vehicles  to  the  lines.  This 
order,  too,  was  fully  discussed  and  commented  on  by 
the  crowd,  which  gathered  in  the  streets  and  in  all  pub- 
lic resorts.  But  like  all  Jackson's  orders,  it  was  also 
quickly  executed. 

It  was  late  in  the  day  before  the  purpose  of  this  order 
was  clearly  perceived,  as  a  long  and  melancholy  pro- 
cession of  these  carts,  followed  by  a  crowd  of  men,  was 
seen  slowly  and  silently  wending  their  way  along  the 
levee  from  the  field  of  battle.  They  contained  the  Bri- 
tish wounded  ;  and  those  who  followed  in  the  rear  were 
the  prisoners  in  charge  of  a  detachment  of  Carroll's 
men.  Emulating  the  magnanimity  of  the  army,  the 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.          347 

citizens  pressed  forward  to  tender  their  aid  to  their 
wounded  enemies.  The  hospitals  being  all  crowded 
with  their  own  sick  and  wounded,  these  unfortunate 
victims  of  English  ambition  were  taken  in  charge  by 
the  citizens,  and  by  private  contributions  were  sup- 
plied with  mattresses  and  pillows,  with  a  large  quantity 
of  lint  and  old  linen  for  dressing  their  wounds,  all  of 
which  articles  were  then  exceedingly  scarce  in  the  city. 
Those  far-famed  nurses,  the  quadroon  women  of  New 
Orleans,  whose  services  are  so  conspicuously  useful 
when  New  Orleans  is  visited  by  pestilence,  freely  gave 
their  kind  attentions  to  the  wounded  British,  and  watch- 
ed at  their  bedsides  night  and  day.  Several  of  the 
officers,  who  were  grievously  wounded,  were  taken  to 
private  residences  of  citizens,  and  there  provided  with 
every  comfort.  Such  acts  as  these  ennoble  humanity, 
and  obscure  even  the  horrors  and  excesses  of  war. 

From  the  city  the  news  of  Jackson's  triumph  flew 
rapidly  through  the  neighboring  country.  It  soon  reach- 
ed a  gloomy  detachment  which,  under  Jackson's  orders, 
had  been  condemned  to  a  mortifying  and  disgusting  in- 
activity at  the  little  fort  of  St.  John.  Here  on  the 
shores  of  the  placid  Pontchartrain  the  roar  of  Jackson's 
batteries,  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  could  be  distinctly 
heard.  It  was  known  that  this  was  the  great  attack — 
the  last  effort  of  the  British.  Their  absence  from  the 
scene  of  such  a  great  crisis,  was  humiliating  beyond  all 
expression  to  the  gallant  men  of  this  detachment.  One 
of  them,  an  officer,  the  late  venerable  Nicholas  Sinnott, 
a  stalwart  and  determined  veteran,  who  had  wielded  a 
pike  at  Vinegar  Hill,  bore  this  disappointment  with  ill 
grace  and  little  philosophy.  In  the  excitement  of  the. 
moment,  he  could  with  difficulty  be  restrained  fron] 


34:8  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

Leading  a  detachment  to  proceed  to  the  lines,  and  ex- 
pressed his  disgust  in  words  which  were  not  forgotten 
to  the  day  of  his  death  by  his  intimate  friends  and 
associates.  "Oh!  there  are  the  bloody  villains,  mur: 
thering  my  countrymen,  and  myself  stuck  down  in  this 
infernal  mud-hole!" 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.  349 


XYIL 

BATTLE  OP  NEW  ORLEANS. 

THE    DISASTER. 
[Eighth  of  January,  1815.] 

THE  general  rejoicing  and  exultation  in  the  American 
camp,  and  in  the  city,  which  had  been  interrupted  by 
the  calls  of  humanity  and  the  pity  excited  by  the  dis- 
asters of  the  enemy,  were  destined  to  receive  another 
serious  shock,  and  to  be  suddenly  changed  into  intense 
anxiety,  as  the  news  which  had  been  in  the  possession 
of  the  Commander-in-chief  from  an  early  hour,  leaked 
out,  that  all  had  not  gone  well  on  the  other  bank  of  the 
river,  and  that  the  British  actually  commanded  their 
lines,  and  had  advanced  to  their  rear.  It  may  be  better 
imagined  than  described,  how  profoundly  the  camp  was 
agitated  by  this  alarming  intelligence.  It  was  but  too 
true.  The  British  attack  had  been  as  successful  on  the 
right,  as  it  had  been  disastrous  on  the  left  bank.  Jack- 
son might  safely  say,  as  Napoleon,  with  far  less  truth, 
remarked,  when  he  heard  of  the  defeat  of  his  fleet  at 
Trafalgar — "  I  cannot  be  everywhere."  There  can  be 
little  doubt  that  if  he  had  commanded  on  the  right 
bank,  the  only  disgrace  which  sullied  the  glory  of  the 
campaign  would  have  been  avoided. 


350  JACKSON    AND    NEW    OELEAN8. 

We  liave  seen  how  Morgan  sent  forward  Iris  advance, 
consisting  of  less  than  three  hundred  ill-armed  and 
fatigued  men,  to  occupy  a  line  a  mile  in  front  of  his 
own — a  line  stretching  from  the  levee  to  the  swamp — 
which  could  not  have  been  manned  by  less  than  a  thou- 
sand men,  with  several  pieces  of  artillery.  Had  even 
these  three  hundred  men  been  sent  to  the  point  where  the 
British  landed,  and  stationed  behind  the  landing,  Thorn- 
ton's crowded  boats  could  not  have  reached  the  river's 
bank.*  They  would  have  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  day- 
light, for  it  was  half-past  four  when  Thornton  stepped 
ashore — a  mile  further  dpwn  stream  than  he  had  calculat- 
ed. His  men  were  formed  in  columns,  just  as  the  rockets, 
ascending  on  the  other  bank,  announced  the  commence- 
ment of  the  attack  in  that  quarter.  This  landing  had  been 
effected  without  the  slightest  interruption.  Covering 
his  flank  by  three  gun-boats,  eaoh  bearing  a  carronade 
in  the  bows,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Roberts, 
Thornton  pushed  rapidly  forward  up  the  road,  until  he 
reached  Morgan's  advance  position.  Here,  dividing  his 
force,  he  moved  a  detachment  of  the  85th  against  Tes- 
sier's  position,  while,  with  the  remainder  of  his  regi- 
ment, he  held  the  road  against  Davis.  As  Thornton 
advanced,  Roberts  opened  his  carronades  on  Davis's 
command.  The  detachment  of  the  85th  rushed  on  Tes- 


*  In  support  of  this  opinion,  we  need  only  refer  to  the  fact  that  the  British  always 
believed  that  the  success  on  the  right  bank  was  due  to  their  taking  the  Americans  by  sur-  • 
prise.  The  author  of  the  Campaigns  of  the  British  army  at  Washington  and  New  Orleans, 
says :  "  Had  they  (Morgan's  men)  stood  firm,  indeed,  it  is  hardly  conceivable  that  so 
Email  a  force  could  have  wrested  an  entrenched  position  from  numbers  so  superior ;  at 
least  it  could  not  have  been  done  without  much  bloodshed.  But  they  were  completely 
surprised.  An  attack  on  this  side  was  a  circumstance  of  which  they  had  not  dreamed ; 
and  when  men  are  assaulted  in  a  point  which  they  deem  beyond  the  reach  of  danger, 
it  is  well  known  that  they  defend  themselves  with  less  vigor  than  when  such  an  even4 
•was  anticipated." 


THE  BATTLE  OP  NEW  OBLEANS.  351 

Bier's  party  with  great  vigor,  and  put  them  to  flight, 
after  firing  a  few  scattering  shots.  Tessier  and  his  men 
being  on  the  extreme  right,  and  unable  to  reach  the  road 
before  the  British  had  occupied  it,  were -compelled  to  fly 
into  the  swamp,  where  many  of  them  suffered  great  dis- 
tress, and  were  unable  to  reach  the  camp,  in  the  rear, 
for  many  hours.  Meantime,  Thornton,  pushing  forward 
with  his  main  body,  consisting  of  the  85th,  the  sailors 
and  marines,  soon  put  Davis's  weak  detachment  to  flight, 
closely  following  on  their  heels.  The  Keutuckians  being 
raw  troops,  did  not,  of  course,  retreat  in  very  good  order. 
As  they  fell  back  in  great  confusion  upon  Morgan's  lines, 
the  general  rode  out,  and  meeting  Colonel  Davis,  directed 
him  to  form  his  men  within  his  lines,  on  the  right  of  the 
Louisiana  militia.  Davis  obeyed  the  order,  but  instead 
of  the  five  hundred  men  Jackson  had  ordered  across  the 
river,  there  were  but  one  hundred  and  seventy  to  cover 
lines  of  three  or  four  hundred  yards.  These  were  sta- 
tioned some  distance  apart,  so  as  to-  present  to  the 
enemy  rather  the  appearance  of  a  line  of  sentinels,  thaE 
of  a  continuous  body  of  troops,  to  defend  a  small  ditch 
and  rude  parapet.  Insignificant  as  these  works  were, 
if  Morgan  had  received  the  intended  reinforcement,  he 
would  have  been  able  to  maintain  his  position.  Instead 
of  six  hundred,  his  real  force,  he  would  then  have  had 
nearly  a  thousand  men  and  three  pieces  of  artillery. 

There  was  no  lack  of  courage  and  determination  on 
the  part  of  Morgan  and  his  command.  They  stood 
firmly  at  their  posts,  and  prepared  to  repel  the  enemy 
with  nerve  and  resolution. 

Thornton,  as  he  gained  the  open  field  in  front  of 
Morgan's  works,  extended  the  files  of  the  85th  so  as 
to  cover  the  whole  field,  and  with  the  sailors  formed 


352          JACKSON  AND  NEW  OBLEANS. 

in  column  on  the  road  and  the  marines  in  reserve, 
advanced  steadily  on  Morgan's  lines.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Gubbins  commanded  the  85th,  Major  Adair  the  marines, 
and  Captain  Money  the  seamen.  The  bugler  sounded 
a  shrill  and  animating  charge,  and  amid  a  shower  of 
rockets  under  the  direction  of  Major  Mitchell  of  the 
artillery,  the  British  tars  rushed  forward.  They  were 
received  by  a  crashing  discharge  of  grape  from  Philli- 
bert's  twelve-pounder  and  two  sixes  under  adjutant 
John  Nixon,  of  the  First  Louisiana  militia,  and  gunner, 
James  Hosmer  and  Mr.  Batique.  The  seamen  recoiled 
from  this  fire.  There  was  another  and  another  volley 
from  the  batteries,  which  killed  and  wounded  several  of 
the  seamen.  Among  the  wounded  was  their  gallant 
commander,  Captain  Money,  who  had  been  distinguish- 
ed in  the  operation  in  the  Chesapeake,  and  in  the  attack 
on  Washington  City.  He  fell  at  the  head  of  his  men. 
At  this  the  Americans  began  to  hurrah  and  ply  their 
pieces  more  briskly.  But  Thornton,  seeing  the  hesita- 
tion and  recoil  of  the  seamen,  rushed  forward  with  the 
85th,  under  a  fire  of  musketry  from  Morgan's  lines,  and, 
despite  a  severe  wound  received  by  him  in  the  advance, 
succeeding  in  obliqueing  the  storming  party  towards 
the  centre  of  Morgan's  line,  and  strengthening  it  by  a 
division  of  the  85th  under  Captain  Schaw,  whilst  two 
other  divisions  of  the  85th  advanced  briskly  against  the 
centre  and  extreme  right  of  Davis's  position.  Thus 
Thornton,  showing  a  skill  and  judgment  superior  to 
that  which  had  been  displayed  on  the  left  bank,  occu- 
pied the  whole  front  of  the  American  lines,  while 
Roberts  opened  upon  the  batteries  of  Morgan's  extreme 
left,  with  his  carronades.  As  Thornton  closed  upon 
Davis's  command,  the  Kentuckians  perceiving  that  they 


THE  BATTLE   OF   NEW   ORLEANS.  353 

were  about  to  be  hemmed  in  between  two  divisions  of 
the  enemy,  one  penetrating  the  centre,  and  the  other 
the  extreme  right,  fired  one  volley,  and  then  abandon- 
ing their  position,  began  to  fall  back  in  great  confusion 
towards  the  road  in  the  rear. 

General  Morgan  rode  to  the  right,  and  called  out  to 
Colonel  Davis  to  halt  his  men.  Davis  replied  that  it 
was  impossible.  "  Sir,"  exclaimed  Morgan,  in  an  angry 
tone,  "  I  have  not  seen  you  try."  And  then,  turning  to 
the  fleeing  Kentuckians,  he  shouted  to  them — "Halt, 
halt !  men,  and  resume  your  position."  At  the  same 
moment  Adjutant  Stephens,  a  brave  Kentuckian,  who 
had  been  badly  wounded,  cried  out,  "  Shame,  shame ! 
Boys,  stand  by  your  general."  But  the  men  were 
already  panic-stricken  and  unnerved,  and  moved  rapidly 
and  disorderly  from  the  right  towards  the  roads,  Mor- 
gan following  them  on  horseback,  and  endeavoring  in 
every  way  he  could  to  rally  them.  He  succeeded  in 
bringing  back  some  of  the  fugitives,  but  a  shower  of 
rockets  falling  in  their  midst  revived  their  alarm,  and 
now  they  scattered,  running  as  fast  as  they  could  towards 
Morgan's  left.  Meantime  the  Louisiana  militia  kept  up 
a  brisk  fire  on  the  advancing  British,  discharging  eight 
volleys  with  considerable  effect.  But  their  right  being 
now  uncovered,  the  British  hastened  to  rush  over  the 
ditch,  and,  scaling  the  parapet,  gained  the  inside  of 
Morgan's  lines.  The  Louisiana  troops  being  now  in  dan- 
ger of  being  intercepted — their  batteries  having  dis- 
charged their  last  cartridge,  of  which  they  had  but 
twelve,  they  were  compelled  also  to  abandon  their  posi- 
tion, which  they  did  in  tolerable  order,  and  under  fire 
of  the  enemy,  after  spiking  their  guns  and  tumbling 
them  into  the  river.  Patterson's  battery  on  the  Levee, 


354:          JACKSON  AND  NEW  OELEANS. 

some  three  hundred  yards  in  Morgan's  rear,  had  been 
constructed  to  operate  on  the  other  bank  of  the  river, 
and  had  been  engaged  since  daylight  in  an  incessant 
fire  at  the  British  in  front  of  Jackson's  position.  See- 
ing that  Morgan's  lines  were  forced,  Patterson  had 
wheeled  his  guns  round  so  as  to  command  the  road, 
when,  perceiving  Davis's  men  running  in  wild  disorder, 
right  upon  his  battery  so  as  to  cover  the  advance  of  the 
British,  and  General  Morgan  so  vainly  striving  to  rally 
them,  the  gallant  commodore,  greatly  incensed  at  his 
countrymen,  cried  out  to  the  commander  of  a  twelve- 
pounder,  which  had  been  brought  to  bear  in  that  direc- 
tion, to  fire  his  piece  into  the  u  d d  cowards."  The 

midshipman,  a  half-grown  youth,  raised  the  match  to 
apply  it  to  the  piece,  when  the  order  was  counter- 
manded ;  and  the  commodore,  perceiving  that  his  bat- 
tery was  unmasked  and  exposed,  having  recovered  his 
calmness,  directed  the  guns  to  be  spiked,  and  the  pow- 
der to  be  thrown  into  the  river,  lie  then  abandoned 
his  position,  and  retired  by  the  road,  walking  with  Mr. 
R.  D.  Shepherd,  his  volunteer  aid,  in  the  rear  of  his 
men,  only  thirty  in  number,  and  alternately  denouncing 
the  British  and  the  Kentuckians.  Patterson  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  Louisiana  militia,  who  fell  back  in  good 
order  until  they  reached  the  Louisiana,  which  had  been 
moored  about  three  hundred  yards  behind  Patterson's 
battery.  The  sailors  being  unable  to  get  her  off,  the 
militia  halted,  and  by  fastening  a  hawser  and  foreline, 
succeeded  in  having  her  towed  out  into  the  stream  be- 
yond the  reach  of  the  enemy,  who  would  have  been  too 
happy  to  destroy  this  great  plague,  which  had  so  con 
tinually  harassed  their  camp.  Finally,  the  Louisiana 
militia  rallied  at  Casselard's,  and  forming  on  Boisge- 


THE    BATTLE    OF    NEW    ORLEANS.  355 

veau's  canal,  prepared  to  make  a  stand  there.  But  the 
British  never  reached  this  position.  After  advancing 
in  excellent  spirits  with  a  full  belief  that  all  had  gone 
well  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  they  had  barely 
reached  Patterson's  battery  when  Colonel  Dickson,  of 
the  artillery,  arrived  direct  from  General  Lambert,  with 
the  crushing  intelligence  of  the  terrible  disasters  which 
had  crowned  their  efforts  on  the  left  bank.  Previous  to 
Dickson's  arrival,  Thornton  had  been  reinforced  by 
several  companies  of  sailors  and  marines,  and  he  felt 
quite  strong  in  his  position  ;  but  Dickson  now  declared 
that  it  could  not  be  maintained ;  and,  hurrying  back  to 
Lambert,  so  reported ;  whereupon  orders  were  trans- 
mitted to  Thornton  to  retire  from  his  position,  recross 
the  river  and  join  the  main  body.  The  execution  of 
these  various  orders  consumed  a  great  part  of  the  day. 
Meantime,  Jackson,  greatly  concerned  at  the  state  of 
affairs  produced  by  the  events  on  the  right  bank,  busied 
himself  in  organizing  a  strong  force  to  throw  across  the 
r-iver  to  Morgan's  relief.  That  force  was  placed  under 
the  command  of  General  Humbert,  who,  but  for  the 
unworthy  jealousy  of  some  of  the  militia  officers  towards 
a  distinguished  military  hero  of  foreign  origin,  would, 
no  doubt,  have  recovered  the  lost  ground,  and  wiped 
off  the  disgrace  of  Morgan's  defeat.  But  the  disinclina- 
tion of  the  American  militia  to  serve  under  Humbert, 
and  their  lack  of  zeal  in  preparing  to  execute  his  orders, 
produced  a  delay,  which  was  no  less  mortifying  to  the 
gallant  Frenchman,  than  unworthy  of  the  Americans, 
who  displayed  these  petty  feelings. 

After  the  wounded  in  front  of  Jackson's  line  had"  all 
been  brought  into  his  camp,  and  provided  with  proper 
Attendance,  the  men  in  Jackson's  lines  were  ordered  to 


356  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

resume  their  position,  stand  to  their  arms,  and  be  ready 
to  repel  another  attack.  Jackson  was  not  the  man  to  be 
carried  away  by  exultation  and  joy,  so  as  to  neglect  the 
necessary  precautions  to  secure  his  victory.  Indeed,  he 
was  as  prudent  as  heroic. 

About  noon  on  the  8th,  several  Americans,  who  had 
advanced  some  distance  in  front  of  the  lines,  announced 
the  approach  of  a  party  from  the  British  camp.  It  con- 
sisted of  an  officer  in  full  uniform,  a  trumpeter,  and  a 
soldier  bearing  a  white  flag.  The  three  advanced  on  the 
levee  to  a  position  within  three  hundred  yards  of  Jack- 
son's lines,  when  the  trumpeter  blew  a  loud  blast,  and 
the  standard-bearer  waved  the  white  flag.  The  whole 
army  now  gathered  on  the  summit  of  the  parapet,  and 
looked  on  in  anxious  suspense  and  curiosity.  Jackson 
ordered  Major  Butler,  with  two  other  officers,  to  proceed 
to  the  British  party,  and  receive  any  message  it  might 
bear.  The  officer  courteously  received  Major  B.,  and 
delivered  him  a  written  communication,  which  that 
officer  hastened  to  present  to  General  Jackson  at  his 
head-quarters  at  Macarte's.  The  message  contained  a 
proposition  for  an  armistice,  to  bury  the  dead.  It  was 
signed  "  Lambert,"  without  any  title  or  designation  of 
rank.  General  Jackson  directed  Major  Butler  to  state 
to  the  officer  bearing  the  message  that  he  would  be 
happy  to  treat  with  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  British 
army,  but  that  the  signer  of  the  letter  had  forgotten  to 
designate  his  authority  and  rank,  which  was  necessary 
before  any  negotiations  could  be  entered  upon.  General 
Lambert  had  erred  in  thinking  that  a  militia  general 
and  Indian  fighter  might  be  imposed  upon  by  so  shallow 
a  device,  employed  to  conceal  the  fact  of  the  death  of 
the  commander-in-chief.  The  delegation  with  the  flag 


THE  BATTLE  OP  NEW  ORLEANS.          357 

of  truce  returned  to  the  British  head-quarters,  and  in 
half  an  hour  appeared  again  before  the  American  lines, 
with  propositions  now  signed  by  "  John  Lambert,  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  of  the  British  forces." 

The  first  proposition,  as  a  basis  for  the  armistice, 
offered  by  Jackson,  embodied  an  admirably  sagacious 
stroke  of  policy.  It  was  on  these  terms :  that  although 
hostilities  should  cease  on  the  left  bank,  where  the  dead 
lay  unburied  until  twelve  o'clock  on  the  9th,  yet  it  was 
not  to  be  understood  that  they  should  cease  on  the  right 
bank  ;  but  that  no  reinforcement  should  be  sent  across 
by  either  army  until  the  expiration  of  that  day.  Such 
condition  produced  the  expected  result ;  Lambert  asked 
until  ten  o'clock  on  the  9th  to  consider  the  proposition : 
meantime  he  sent  orders  to  Thornton  to  retire.  That 
officer,  covering  the  movement  by  an  advance  towards 
the  American  position,  set  fire  to  the  several  saw-mills 
in  his  rear,  and  after  destroying  the  ammunition  and 
stores  which  he  had  captured,  retired  in  good  order,  his 
rear-guard  being,  however,  pressed  by  an  advance  party 
of  Americans,  upon  which  they  kept  up  a  running  fire. 
It  was  dark  before  Thornton  succeeded  in  crossing  the 
river.  That  night  the  Americans  regained  their  lines 
on  the  right  bank,  and  by  early  morn  Patterson  had  re- 
stored his  battery,  in  a  more  advantageous  position  than 
it  had  previously  occupied,  announcing  the  gratifying 
fact  to  Jackson  at  daybreak  by  a  discharge  of  several 
large  pieces  against  the  British  outposts. 

Disgraceful  as  the  defeat  on  the  right  bank  was,  it  is 
due  to  the  Kenfuckians,  who  were  the  chief  actors  in  the 
affair,  to  remind  the  reader  of  the  hard  usage  to  which 
they  had  been  subjected  in  their  long  and  fatiguing  march 


358  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

during  the  day,  and  to  their  ill-armed  condition. 
Whether  these  facts  will  be  sufficient  to  acquit  them  of 
all  blame,  or  to  mitigate  the  censure  which  has  been  so 
often  and  freely  bestowed  on  them  for  their  conduct, 
are  questions  we  feel  no  desire  to  discuss.  It  should  not 
be  forgotten,  however,  with  what  promptitude  and  self- 
sacrificing  patriotism  these  men  had  abandoned  their  dis- 
tant homes,  and  hurried  at  an  inclement  season  of  the 
year,  to  the  defence  of  this  remote  settlement.  It  is 
hardly  conceivable  that  such  men  should  be  faithless  to 
duty  and  honor,  and  the  conclusion  that  their  retreat  was 
an  unavoidable  necessity,  is  more  reasonable  as  well  as 
more  consonant  to  the  pride  and  feelings  of  Americans. 

The  Americans  achieved  glory  enough  that  day,  to 
bear  with  equanimity  the  slight  mortification  inflicted 
by  this  event. 

To  complete  our  narrative — not  to  aggravate  the  shame 
of  this  disaster — it  is  necessary  to  state  that  Morgan  lost 
but  one  man  killed  and  five  wounded.  The  British  loss 
was  much  more  serious.  The  85th  had  two  killed  and 
thirty-nine  wounded,  including  their  colonel ;  and  the 
sailors  and  marines,  had  four  killed  -  and  forty-nine 
wounded,  including  Captain  Money.  Several  of  the 
wounded  died  before  the  detachment  re-crossed  the 
river.  The  dead  were  buried  in  the  plain  in  front  of 
Morgan's  lines. 

It  was  in  this  action  that  the  British  acquired  the 
trophy  which  is  their  sole  record  of  their  achievements 
on  this  day.  It  is  a  small  flag  which  now  hangs  amid 
the  trophies  of  the  Peninsular  war  in  "Whitehall,  Lon- 
don, with  this  description  :  "  Taken  at  the  battle  of  New 
Orleans,  January  8,  1815."  There  is  as  much  appro- 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.          359 

priateness  in  such  a  record,  as  there  would  be  in  the 
French  arraying  in  public  a  British  regimental  standard 
captured  at  Waterloo ! 

General  Lambert  having  consented  to  Jackson's  pro- 
positions, early  in  the  morning  of  the  9th  a  line  was 
staked  off,  about  three  hundred  yards  from  the  Ameri- 
can intrenchment,  and  detachments  of  soldiers  marched 
from  both  camps,  who  were  stationed  near  this  line,  but 
a  few  feet  apart,  to  carry  out  the  object  of  the  armistice, 
to  wit,  the  burial  of  the  dead.  The  dead  bodies,  which 
were  strewn  so  thickly  over  the  field,  were  then  brought 
by  the  Americans  to  the  lines,  where  they  were  received 
by  the  British  and  borne  to  a  designated  spot  on  Bien- 
venu's,  which  had  been  marked  off  as  the  cemetery  of 
"  the  Army  of  Louisiana."  In  carrying  the  dead  the 
Americans  used  the  clumsy  and  unwieldy  ladders 
intended  by  the  British  to  be  employed  in  scaling  the 
American  parapet.  Many  British  officers  assembled  to 
witness  the  ceremony.  It  was  to  them  one  of  deep 
mortification  and  sorrow.  These  feelings  were  increased 
by  the  presence  of  several  American  officers,  whose 
natural  sang  froid  was  misinterpreted  into  untimely 
exultation.  This  misconception  led  the  British  officer, 
from  whom  we  have  already  derived  so  much  informa- 
tion relative  to  this  campaign,  into  the  following  burst 
of  feeling : 

"  An  American  officer  stood  by,  smoking  a  cigar,  and 
apparently  counting  the  slain,  with  a  look  of  savage 
exultation,  and  repeating,  over  and  over,  to  each 
individual  that  approached  him,  that  their  loss 
amounted  to  eight  men  killed  and  fourteen  wounded. 
I  confess  that  when  I  beheld  the  scene  I  hung  down  my 
head,  half  in  sorrow  and  half  in  anger.  With  my  offi • 


360         JACKSON  AND  NEW  OELEANS. 

clous  informant  I  had  every  inclination  to  pick  a  quar- 
rel ;  but  he  was  on  duty,  and  an  armistice  existed,  both 
of  which  forbade  the  measure.  I  could  not,  however, 
Btand  by  and  repress  my  choler ;  and  since  to  give  it 
vent  would  have  subjected  me  to  a  more  serious  incon- 
venience than  a  mere  duel,  I  turned  my  horse's  head 
and  galloped  back  to  the  camp."  The  bearing  of  Gene- 
ral Lambert's  secretary,  Major  H.  0.  Smith,  of  the  95th 
rifles,  who  met  a  soldier's  death  at  Waterloo,  was  more 
manly  and  philosophic,  if  less  honest  and  sincere. 
Entering  into  a  conversation  with  Captain  Maunsel 
White,  who  now  survives,  a  respected  and  honored 
planter  and  patriot,  living  on  his  magnificent  estate 
(Deerange),  in  the  parish  of  Plaquemines,  Major  Smith 
coolly  remarked,  looking  very  calmly  upon  the  acres  of 
dead  around  him :  "  O  !  it  is  a  mere  skirmish — a  mere 
skirmish  !"  u  One  more  such  skirmish,"  replied  Cap- 
tain White,  "  and  devilish  few  of  you  will  ever  get 
back  home  to  tell  the  story." 

The  bodies  of  the  officers  were  first  delivered  to  the 
British.  Those  of  Colonel  Rennie,  Major  Whittaker, 
Captain  Henry,  and  Majors  Wilkinson  and  King,  being 
familiar  to  both  officers  and  men,  were  received  with 
sorrowful  and  tearful  silence.  They  were  chiefs  and 
heroes  in  the  army,  who  left  behind  no  superiors  in  that 
band  of  veterans,  who  had  signalized  their  valor  in 
many  combats,  and  were  ever  amongst  the  foremost  in 
all  perilous  enterprises.  Rennie  was  particularly 
lamented,  for  throughout  the  operations  on  the  Chesa- 
peake and  in  Louisiana,  he  had  proved  to  be  the  most 
efficient  light  infantry  officer  next  to  Thornton  in  the 
army.  The  dead  officers  were  carried  to  headquarters, 
and  such  as  had  friends  to  attend  to  the  sacred  duties  of 


THE   BATTLE   OF   NEW   ORLEANS.  361 

securing  them  a  Christian  burial  were  interred  at  night, 
in  Villere's  garden,  by  the  light  of  torches,  with  appro- 
priate religious  ceremonies.  Others  were  disembow- 
eled, and  their  bodies  deposited  in  casks  of  rum,  to  be 
carried  to  England.  Such  was  the  disposition  of  the 
bodies  of  Packenham  and  Gibbs,  and,  we  believe,  of 
Colonels  Dale  and  Rennie.*  But  the  remainder  of  the 
dead,  including  hundreds  of  officers  and  men,  were 
hastily  and  imperfectly  buried  in  the  rear  of  Bienvenu's 
plantation.  The  spot  thus  consecrated  has  never  been 
invaded  by  the  plough  or  the  spade,  but  is  regarded  to 
this  day  with  awe  and  respect  by  the  superstitious  Afri- 
cans, and  is  now  occupied  by  a  grove  of  stunted  cypress, 
strikingly  commemorative  of  the  disasters  of  this  ill- 
fated  expedition. 

In  estimating  the  loss  of  the  British  in  this  disastrous 
affair,  we  are  met  by  several  conflicting  statements. 
Between  these  various  estimates  it  is  not,  however,  diffi- 
cult to  form  an  approximate  calculation,  which  will  not 
full  far  short  of  the  reality.  That  estimate  will  show 
that  the  loss  sustained  in  the  attack  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Mississippi  was  the  severest  ever  sustained  in  any. 
battle  by  the  British  army.  Deducting  the  reserve, 
Lambert's,  which  was  not  under  fire,  the  14th  dragoons, 
who  guarded  the  camp  and  hospital,  and  Thornton's 
command,  there  could  not  have  been  more  than  six 
thousand  men  engaged  in  the  attack  on  Jackson's  lines. 
Of  these,  according  to  the  estimate  of  Colonel  Hayne, 
who  was  designated  by  Jackson  for  this  duty,  there 
were  at  least  2,600  placed  hors  de  combat,  to  wit : 

*Tbe  tree,  a  noble  Pecan,  under  which  the  viscera  of  Packenham  were  burled,  still 
stands  in  the  yard  of  Villerd's,  the  subject  of  a  superstition  mach  cherished  by  tht 
Creoles,  that  ever  since  that  occurrence  it  has  ceased  to  bear  fruit. 

16 


JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

Killed TOO 

Wounded 1400 

Prisoners 500 

The  British  reports  do  not  vary  essentially  from  this 
report,  except  in  the  statement  of  the  killed,  which,  in 
the  regular  (British)  returns,  only  embrace  those  who 
were  killed  on  the  field,  and  not  those  who  died  shortly 
after  being  carried  off. 

Their  report  is  as  follows  : 

STAFF.  Killed.       Wounded.       Missing.       Total. 

Generals 21  03 

Brigadier  Major, 1  1  0  2 

Deputy  Ass.  Qr.  M.  G 0  1  0  1 

FOURTH  FOOT. 

Commissioned  Officers,  ....  2            24                1            27 

Men 40          234              53          327 

SEVENTH  FOOT. 

Officers 2406 

Men 39            49                0            88 

TwENTT-FlBST  FOOT. 

Officers 34  9  16 

Men 67          153  227          449 

FoETT-TniRD  FOOT. 

Officers 2215 

Men 11  40  5  56 

FORTY-FOURTH  FOOT. 

Officers 2              9  1  12 

Men 33          154  79  266 

NINETY-THIRD  FOOT  (Highlan- 
ders). 

Officers 39  3  15 

Men 60    368  102  530 

Garry  over, 26T   1053     481   1803 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.  363 

Killed.       Wounded.        Missing.       Total. 

Brought  forward,    ....267        1053  481         1803 

iFTH  FOOT  (Rifles). 

Officers 0707 

Men 11  94  0          105 

FIEST  AND  FIFTH  WEST  INDIA 
REGIMENTS. 

Officers 0605 

Men 5  19  1  25 

Total  casualties  of  British  on 

left  bank 283        1178  482        1845 

On  the  right  bank  the  loss  was  as  follows : 

TlHKTY-FlFTU  FOOT.  Killed.        Wounded.        Missing.        TotaL 

Officers 0202 

Men 2  39  1  42 

ROYAL  MARINES. 

Officers 0808 

Men 2  13  0  15 

ROTAL  NAVY. 

Officers 0202 

Men 2  18  0  20 

Total  casualties  on  right  bank,     8  77  1  84 

Grand  total  of  the  British  loss  on  the  8th  of  January, 
1815: 

Killed.        Wounded.        Missing.        Total. 

On  the  left  bank 283         1178  482         1845 

On  the  right  bank 8  77  1  84 

Grand  Total ..291         1255  483         1929 

Of  the  officers  killed,   there  were  two   Generals — 
Packenham,   Lieutenant  General,   and    Gibbs,    Major 


364  JACKSON    AND    IsTEW    ORLEANS. 

General ;  three  Colonels  and  Lieutenant  Colonels — Dale, 
T.  Jones,  and  Rennie ;  three  Majors — 'Wilkinson,  Bri- 
gade Major,  King,  and  J.  A.  Whittaker ;  three  Cap- 
tains— Henry,  Hichins,  and  Muirhead  ;  four  Lieuten- 
ants and  Ensigns — Crowe,  Donald  McDonald,  Davies, 
and  McLorkey.  Of  the  wounded,  there  was  one  Major 
General — Keane ;  one  Deputy  Quarter-master  Gene- 
ral —  Delacy  Evans ;  five  Colonels  and  Lieutenant 
Colonels — Brooke,  Faunce,  Patterson,  Thornton,  and 
Debbieg:  all  but  the  first  and  last  being  severely 
wounded;  three  Majors — Brigade  Major  Shaw,  slight- 
ly ;  Williamson  and  Ross,  severely.  Captains  Flet- 
cher, Erskine,  Page,  Ryan,  Boulger,  McKenzie, 
Ellis,  Travers,  Isles,  Money  (Navy),  severely ;  and 
Craig,  Elliot,  and  Mullens  slightly,  thirteen.  Lieuten- 
ants and  Ensigns — Brooke,  Martin,  Richardson,  Squire, 
Farrington,  Marshall,  Andrews,  Benwell,  Higgins, 
Waters,  Geddes,  Meyricke,  D.  Campbell,  Smith,  Brush, 
Philan,  W.  Jones,  White,  Hayden,  Donaldson,  Ur- 
quhart,  Gordon,  Hay,  Reynolds,  Sir  J.  Ribton,  Gosset, 
Blackhouse,  Barker,  McDonald,  Morgan,  Pelkington, 
and  Wilson,  severely,  thirty-two  ;  Ellis,  Parnal,  Hop- 
kins, Salvin,  Boully,  Hearn,  Gerard,  Fernandez,  New- 
ton, Richardson,  Lorentz,  McLean,  Spark,  McPherson, 
Elliott  and  Morgan  (Marines),  Millar,  slightly,  seventeen ; 
Total  lieutenants  and  ensigns  wounded,  forty-nine.  Of 
the  missing,  there  was — Major  McAfie,  one ;  Captains 
Kidd,  Simpson  (severely  wounded,  and  taken  prisoner), 
and  Brady,  Lieutenants  Lavack,  Carr,  Quinn,  Munro, 
McDonald,  and  Graves,  seven — all  severely  wounded 
and  taken  prisoners ;  and  Stewart,  Armstrong,  Fon- 
blanque,  Knight,  and  B.  Johnson,  five — captured  with- 
out being  wounded. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.         366 

Grand  total  of  officers  killed  and  wounded : 

KILLED. 

Generals 2 

Colonels  and  Lieutenant  Colonels, :j 

Majors 3 

Captains 3 

Lieutenants  and  Ensigns 5 

WOUNDED. 

Severely.       Slightly. 

Major  General 1  0 

Deputy  Quarter-master  General 1  0 

Colonels  and  Lieutenant  Colonels 3  2 

Majors 2  1 

Captains 10  8 

Lieutenants  and  Ensigns 32  17 

Midshipman 1  0 

Severely  Wounded.    Missing. 

Captains 2  0 

Major 0  1 

Lieutenants 6  5 

Considering  the  number  of  the  wounded  who  after- 
wards died,  the  total  of  mortality  in  this  battle  has  been 
estimated,  by  competent  judges,  at  one  thousand  men. 
Colonel  Maunsel  White,  now  a  survivor  of  the  war,  with 
another  officer,  counted  the  British  dead  on  the  field : 
they  were  356  ;  and  he  thinks  there  must  have  been 
others  in  the  swamp.  The  Adjutant  of  the  93d,  Mr. 
Graves,  who  was  found  on  the  field,  badly  wounded, 
was  taken  charge  of  by  Colonel  (then  captain)  White, 
and  attended  by  him  during  his  confinement  in  tho 
city,  now  resides  in  Brooklyn,  'N.  Y.  He  states  that  the 
93d  mustered,  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  one  thousand 


366          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

men  and  twenty-four  officer,  and  that  after  they  had 
retreated  from  the  attack,  and  were  collected  in  the 
rear,  there  were  ten  or  twelve  officers  and  one  hundred 
and  thirty  men  J 

The  Americans  lost  in  their  lines  but  two  men  killed ; 
they  were  shot  on  the  left — one  through  the  neck  and 
the  other  through  the  head.  There  were  two  others 
killed  in  the  redoubt  on  the  right.  The  others,  making 
in  all  eight  killed,  lost  their  lives  in  the  swamp  by 
unnecessarily  exposing  themselves ;  or  were  shot  after 
the  action  by  the  British  soldiers  who  were  concealed 
in  the  ditch,  or  in  the  bushes  near  the  swamp.  The 
aggregate  loss  was  eight  killed  and  thirteen  wounded, 
which  number,  compared  with  that  of  the  British, 
exhibits  a  disparity  without  a  parallel  in  ancient  or 
modern  warfare. 


CLOSING  INCIDENTS.  367 


XYIIL 

CLOSING  INCIDENTS. 

OUR  task  is  nearly  finished.  The  great  battle  lias 
been  fought.  The  dead  have  been  buried,  and  gloom 
and  silence  have  settled  over  that  field,  now  for 
ever  classic  in  American  history.  In  sorrow,  misery, 
shame,  and  dejection,  the  British  have  withdrawn 
further  oft"  from  the  scene  of  the  most  dismal  disaster 
their  arms  ever  encountered.  Every  house  for  miles 
along  the  river  is  occupied  with  their  wounded,  and  the 
labors  of  their  surgeons  are  incessant  and  herculean. 
But  worse  even  than  wounds,  physical  agony  and  sick- 
ness, is  that  torment  of  "  the  mind  diseased,"  for  which 
there  is  no  minister— the  consciousness  of  defeat  and 
disgrace,  that  has  entered,  the  soul  of  those  hitherto  vic- 
torious veterans.  These  feelings  alternately  prostrate 
their  victims  into  a  deep  silent  gloom,  or  break  out  in 
fierce  and  fiery  denunciation  of  those,  whom  their  pas- 
sions selected  as  the  scapegoats  of  their  disgrace.  The 
poor  44th  came  in  for  the  chief  share  of  the  maledic- 
tions. It  had  failed  in  its  duty— it  had  not  brought  up 
the  ladders  and  fascines.  And  even  when  the  heroic 
Packenham  at  last  took  the  regiment  out  of  the  hands 
of  its  imbecile  colonel,  it  had  flinched.  So  great  was 
this  indignation,  that  the  other  regiments  would  not 


JACKSON  AND  NEW  OKLEANS. 

associate  with  any  officer  or  private,  wearing  the  uni- 
form of  the  44th.  "Was  this  just  or  honorable  ?  That 
Colonel  Mullens  should  have  obeyed,  at  all  sacrifices, 
the  order  given  to  him,  there  can  be  no  question  ;  but 
his  disobedience  was  not  even  a  cause,  much  less  a 
prominent  one,  of  their  defeat.  The  order  was  neither 
a  just,  nor  a  wise  one.  To  require  a  whole  regiment  to 
stack  its  arms  and  bear  ladders  for  the  rest  of  the  com- 
mand, was  unusual  and  inequitable.  This  duty  ought 
to  have  been  imposed  upon  detachments  from  the 
various  corps,  as  the  forlorn  hope  is  organized.  But,  of 
what  avail  would  have  been  the  prompt  execution  of 
this  order?  The  ladders  and  fascines  were  not  necessary 
to  pass  the  paltry  ditch,  and  scale  the  insignificant  para- 
pet of  the  Americans.  A  robust  man  could  nearly  have 
leaped  from  the  field  to  the  mound,  behind  which  the 
Americans  stood.  The  British  must  have  imagined 
that  they  had  high  walls  to  mount,  like  those  of  Bada- 
joz  and  St.  Sebastian.  Their  great  difficulty  was  to 
reach  the  ditch ;  they  could  never  have  used  their  lad- 
ders and  fascines,  if,  instead  of  the  44th,  every  private 
in  their  army  had  borne  them.  They  were  shot  down 
before  reaching  the  ditch.  The  fascines  and  ladders 
only  impeded  and  harassed  them.  "With  their  heavy 
knapsacks,  these  unwieldy  articles  only  made  them 
"surer  game"  for  the  Tennessee  marksmen.  Colonel 
Mullens  and  the  44th  were  not,  therefore,  the  cause  of 
their  repulse.  The  true  cause  was  the  skillfulness  and 
steadiness  of  the  American  militia,  in  the  use  of  fire- 
arms. Such  was  the  sagacious  conclusion  of  an  eminent 
French  soldier,  who  visited  this  field  many  years  after. 
It  was  the  Marshal  Count  Bertrand  Clausel,  the  same 
who  had  commanded  the  French  division  at  Salamanca, 


CLOSING    INCIDENTS.  369 

which  Packenham  had  routed.  Settling  in  Mobile, 
Alabama,  this  distinguished  soldier,  who  had  iigured  so 
conspicuously  on  so  prominent  an  arena — who  had  com- 
manded at  Bordeaux  during  the  Hundred  Days,  and  to 
whom  the  Duchess  of  Angouleme  surrendered  as  a  pri- 
soner— now,  with  the  characteristic  philosophy  of 
Frenchmen,  became  an  humble  gardener,  who  furnished 
the  market  of  Mobile  with  vegetables,  driving  his  cart 
himself.  Conceiving  a  desire  to  behold  the  field  of  the 
defeat  and  death  of  his  old  and  victorious  foe,  he 
visited  New  Orleans  in  1820,  in  company  with  the  cele- 
brated Count  Desnoettes,  Napoleon's  faithful  companion 
in  the  retreat  from  Moscow — the  same  whom  the  Empe- 
ror selected,  on  his  affecting  parting  at  Fontainebleau,  as 
the  dearest  of  all  his  friends.  These  gallant  and  distin- 
guished Frenchmen  being  escorted  to  the  battle-field  of 
the  8th  of  January,  1815,  by  some  of  their  countrymen, 
who  had  participated  in  that  affair,  were  greatly  puzzled 
to  know  how  such  good  soldiers  as  the  English  could  be 
repulsed^  by  so  weak  a  force  from  such  trifling  fortifica- 
tions. "Ah!"  exclaimed  Marshal  Clause'i,*  after  some 
moments  of  reflection,  "I  see  how  it  all  happened. 
"When  these  Americans  go  into  battle,  they  forget  that 
they  are  not  hunting  deer  or  shooting  turkeys  and  try 
never  to  throw  away  a  shot."  And  there  was  the  whole 
secret  of  the  defeat,  which  the  British  have  ascribed  to 
so  many  different  causes.  It  is  the  agility  with  which 
the  Americans  wield  every  species  of  firearm,  and  the 
habit  of  cool,  steady  aim,  which  renders  them  so 


*  Marshal  Clausel  was  restored  to  his  position  in  the  army  by  Louis  Philippe  and 
became  Governor  of  Algeria,  and  was  the  commander  and  military  instructor  of  Gene- 
ral Canrobert,  the  French  commander  in  the  operations  before  Sebastopol. 

16* 


370          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

destructive  in  battles,  where  they  are  not  restrained  or 
confused  by  any  military  manoeuvre  or  exigency. 

It  is  no  part  of  our  design  to  give  all  the  details  of  the 
events  wLlch  followed  the  battle  of  the  8th ;  nor  shall 
we  turn  adide  to  engage  in  those  unprofitable  discus- 
sions, growing  out  of  subsequent  events,  to  which  some 
writers  and  politicians  have  assigned  prominent  places 
in  this  drama.  They  will  be  barely  glanced  at. 

The  British  were  not  left  long  to  their  gloomy  reflec- 
tions and  bad  passions.  The  American  batteries  again 
resumed  their  tasks  of  incessantly  annoying  the  hostile 
camp,  firing  at  every  knot  of  men  that  could  be  dis- 
cerned in  the  British  camp,  and  keeping  their  sentinels 
and  outposts  constantly  on  the  guard,  dodging  and 
ducking  as  the  balls  flew  around  them.  Prominent 
among  those  who  were  most  active  and  earnest  in  this 
annoyance  to  the  British,  was  Commodore  Patterson, 
who  relieved  himself  of  the  disgust  and  indignation, 
which  had  been  created  in  his  bosom,  by  an  uninter- 
rupted fire  at  the  British  camp  from  a  new  battery  he 
had  thrown  up  in  advance  of  Morgan's  position. 

Save  these  regular  and  customary  salutes  of  the  Bri- 
tish camp  by  the  various  batteries  on  both  sides  of  the 
river,  nothing  of  great  interest  occurred  until  the  llth, 
when  the  curiosity  of  the  Americans  was  excited  by  the 
distant  rumbling  of  artillery  far  down  the  river.  It 
was  soon  understood  that  this  was  the  expected  attack 
on  Fort  St.  Philip,  a  fortification  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Mississippi,  about  eighty  miles  below  the  city,  and  some 
thirty  from  the  mouth  of  the  river.  The  fort,  which 
was  a  rude,  irregular  work,  stood  in  a  bend  of  the  river, 
so  as  to  have  a  long  sweep  above  and  below  it.  It  was 
surrounded  by  an  impenetrable  morass,  and  on  the 


CLOSING   INCIDENTS.  371 

lower  side  by  the  Bayou  Mardi  Gras.  There  were 
twenty-nine  guns  mounted  in  the  fort,  of  which  there 
were  two  thirty-twos,  established  in  the  curtain  of  the 
fort  on  a  level  with  the  river.  The  others  were  twenty- 
fours,  one  thirteen  inch  mortar,  and  several  howitzers. 
The  fort  had  been  in  preparation  some  months  before. 
Jackson  visited  it  in  December,  perceived  its  vast 
importance  and  great  strength,  and  gave  orders  to  have 
certain  additions  made  to  it.  Several  detachments  of 
troops  were  sent  down  to  reinforce  the  garrison.  A 
number  of  negroes  were  employed  to  bring  in  timbers 
and  perform  other  work  necessary  to  the  solidity  and 
strength  of  the  fort. 

Among  other  sagacious  preparations,  the  magazine 
was  completely  disguised,  and  several  smaller  ones 
established  in  various  places.  The  garrison  consisted  of 
two  companies  of  United  States  artillery,  117,  under 
Captains  Wolstoncraffc,  Murray,  and  Walsh ;  two  com- 
panies of  the  7th  infantry,  163,  under  Captains  Brontin 
and  Waide;  Lagan's  Louisiana  Volunteers,  54;  and 
Listeau's  free  men  of  color,  30 ;  in  all  366,  To  these 
are  to  be  added  the  crew  of  gun-boat  No.  8,  which  had 
been  hauled  into  the  Bayou.  The  whole  force  made 
406  effective  men  under  that  staunch  and  able  officer, 
Major  Overton,  of  the  rifle  corps.  Below,  a  guard  was 
established  to  watch  and  announce  the  approach  of  the 
enemy. 

It  manifests  a  palpable  want  of  combination  and 
military  skill  in  the  British  generals,  that  their  plan  of 
advance  upon  the  city  was  not  so  arranged  as  to  secure 
possession  of  the  river  before  their  land  troops  occupied 
its  banks.  It  ought  to  have  occurred  to  them  that  their 
flank  would  be  exposed  in  case  the  Americans  had  com- 


372          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

mand  of  the  river,  as  they  must  necessarily  have  vessels 
which  could  be  easily  converted  into  floating  hatteries, 
to  harass  and  impede,  if  not  to  arrest,  their  advance. 
This  error  was  brought  home  to  them  very  painfully  by 
the  sudden  and  destructive  volley  tired  into  their  camp 
on  the  night  of  the  23d  by  the  Carolina.  Whether 
orders  had  been  issued  to  the  vessels,  which  undertook 
to  ascend  the  river  to  cooperate  with  the  army,  or  they 
were  proceeding  on  their  own  account,  we  are  unable  to 
say.  But  it  is  certainly  true  that  these  vessels  did 
not  appear  off  the  Balize,  where  the  British  had  pre- 
viously established  themselves,  until  the  8th,  and  did 
not  come  within  sight  of  the  obstacle  to  their  progress 
up  the  stream,  until  noon  of  the  9th.  Overton's  guard- 
boat  hastened  to  announce  their  arrival  to  the  Fort. 
The  vessels  consisted  of  two  bomb-ships,  the  Herald 
sloop-of-war,  the  Sophia,  a  brig,  and  a  tender.  Small 
as  this  squadron  was,  had  it  arrived  at  Packenham's 
camp  and  in  time  to  cooperate  in  the  attack  on  Jackson's 
line,  or  even  if  it  had  arrived  after  that  event,  and 
before  the  evacuation  by  the  British,  the  consequences 
might  have  been  very  serious  to  the  American  arms. 
But  they  were  not  destined  to  surmount  so  easily  the 
obstacle  in  their  path.  Overton  prepared  to  give  them 
a  warm  reception.  Cunningham,  of  the  gun-boat,  with 
his  sailors,  took  command  of  the  32's  ;  Walsh  com- 
manded the  right  bastion  ;  Wolstoncraft  the  centre,  and 
Murray  the  left ;  the  infantry  under  Brontin  stood  in 
the  rear  of  the  curtain  to  support  the  batteries,  and  act 
as  occasion  might  require.  At  three  p.  M.  the  bomb- 
vessels,  approaching  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the 
Fort,  as  if  to  sound  the  left  battery,  opened  on  them ; 
they  then  retired  beyond  the  range  of  the  Fort's  guns, 


CLOSING  INCIDENTS.  373 

and  anchoring  behind  a  point  of  land  3T60  yards  from 
the  Fort,  turned  broadsides  towards  it,  and  running  up 
their  flags,  commenced  the  action.  Their  first  shell  fell 
short,  the  next  burst  over  theFort,  and  the  others  which 
followed  fell  into  the  soft  earth,  bursting,  so  deep  in  the 
ground  as  to  create  only  a  tremulous  motion.  The  ves- 
sels remained  some  distance  below  the  bombs.  The 
bomb-ships  threw  their  shells  all  night — one  shell  every 
two  minutes — at  the  fort,  but  without  effect.  At  night 
they  reconnoitered  in  small  boats,  and  came  so  near  that 
their  men  could  be  heard  talking.  The  wind  was  then 
blowing  up  the  river.  The  garrison  were  too  intent 
upon  the  vessels  to  notice  these  boats.  During  the  10th 
and  llth  the  bombardment  was  continued,  the  fort  firing 
a  few  shots  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  the  men,  but 
without  effect.  On  the  llth,  the  flag-staff  was  struck 
by  several  fragments  of  shell,  and  the  flag  was  nailed  to 
the  halyards ;  another  shell  severed  them,  and  down  it 
came.  An  hour  was  consumed  in  restoring  the  flag, 
which  was  gallantly  done  by  a  sailor,  over  whose  head 
several  shells  burst  while  sitting  on  the  crosstree,  mak- 
ing fast  the  flag.  The  contractor's  house.was  mistaken 
for  the  magazine,  and  struck,  killing  one  man,  and 
wounding  another.  On  the  12th,  13th,  and  14th,  the 
firing  was  kept  up  incessantly,  many  shells  bursting 
over  the  fort,  killing  one  man,  and  wounding  several 
others,  and  damaging  one  of  the  32's.  The  men  in  the 
fort  were  busily  employed,  and  much  exposed  in  repair 
ing  these  damages  and  strengthening  the  fort.  In  the 
meantime,  heavy  rains  fell  daily,  and  the  interior  of  the 
fort  was  a  sheet  of  water,  and  the  men  were  constantly 
wet  and  almost  frozen.  On  the  13th,  having  received 
shells  and  ammunition  from  New  Orleans,  the  fort 


374:          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

opened  its  fire,  and  threw  several  shells  over  the  bomb- 
ship.  One  of  these  took  effect,  and  created  much  con- 
fusion on  board.  But  on  the  17th,  they  began  to  fire  at 
the  fort  with  more  accuracy,  and  lodged  several  shells 
in  the  parapet,  one  of  which  burst  in  passing  through 
the  ditch  into  the  angle  of  the  centre  of  the  bastion. 
This  was  their  farewell  shot.  The  next  day  at  early 
dawn  their  ships  were  observed  descending  the  river 
with  all  sails  set.  The  garrison  gave  three  cheers,  and 
fired  a  volley  as  a  salute  to  their  foiled  and  mortified 
foe.  This  bombardment  had  been  incessant  from  the 
9th  to  the  18th  of  January,  during  which  they  fired 
1,000  shells,  being  seventy  tons  of  iron ;  and  twenty 
thousand  pounds  of  gunpowder,  besides  small  shells. 
The  casualties  were  only  two  killed  and  three  wounded. 
At  least  a  hundred  shells  fell  within  the  fort,  damaging 
and  battering  the  shops  and  stores,  and  tearing  up  the 
earth  within,  and  for  many  yards  around. 

Here  was  another  able  and  decisive  repulse  of  the 
British,  which  constituted  an  important  link  in  the 
defence  of  the  city,  and  reflected  the  highest  credit 
upon  the  garrison  and  its  gallant  commander,  who,  as 
General  Overton,  long  resided  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  Louisiana,  one  of  its  most  esteemed  and  honored 
citizens.  There  were  other  detached  operations,  which 
were  attended  by  a  like  success. 

Purser  Shields,  of  the  Navy,  a  well-known  citizen  of 
New  Orleans,  and  Dr.  Morrel,  an  esteemed  physician, 
headed  a  brilliant  little  affair  against  the  British  lines 
of  communication  on  the  Lake.  It  will  be  remembered, 
that  these  gentlemen  had  been  sent,  after  the  battle  of 
the  gun-boats,  to  the  succor  of  the  American  wounded, 
who  were  captured  on  the  occasion.  Arriving  at  the 


CLOSING   INCIDENTS.  375 

time  the  British  were  preparing  to  land  their  troops,  the 
Vice- Admiral  Cochrane  thought  proper  to  detain  them 
until  the  army  had  executed  the  design  in  which  it  was 
then  engaged.  These  gentlemen  protested  that  they 
had  come  under  a  flag  of  truce,  and  that  their  detention 
was  a  breach  of  the  rules  of  war.  But  it  was  in  vain. 
Finally,  when  the  British  had  been  repulsed,  they  were 
released  on  the  12th  January,  and  arrived  in  the 
American  camp.  During  their  detention  by  the 
British,  these  gentlemen  were  very  badly  treated  ;  their 
flag  was  not  respected;  they  were  robbed  of  their 
clothes  and  other  property  ;  they  were  not  permitted  to 
see  their  wounded  countrymen  ;  and  the  sailors  of  the 
boat  that  brought  them  to  the  fleet,  were  compelled  to 
work  on  the  British  boats.  Such  conduct  was  charac- 
teristic of  Yice- Admiral  Cochrane,  who  was  a  rough, 
brutal,  and  overbearing  officer.  It  may  be  well  con- 
ceived that  high-spirited  gentlemen  like  Mr.  Shields  and 
Dr.  Morrel,  did  not  bear  very  patiently  the  remem- 
brance of  the  inoTignities  to  which  they  had  been 
subjected  in  the  British  fleet.  Hence,  on  their  arrival 
in  Jackson's  camp,  they  busied  themselves  in  getting 
up  an  expedition,  by  which  they  might  obtain  some  lit- 
tle satisfaction  for  their  injuries,  and  some  compensation 
for  their  exclusion  from  the  honors  and  glories  of  the 
defence  of  the  city.  Organizing  a  little  band  of  volun- 
teers, they  proceeded  with  four  boats,  one  having  a 
carronade  in  its  bows,  out  of  the  Bayou  St.  John  into 
the  Lake,  and  thence  to  the  fort  and  encampment  at 
Petites  Coquilles.  Here,  being  reinforced  by  two  other 
boats,  they  glided  stealthily  along  the  shores  of  Lake 
Borgne,  towards  the  Kigolets,  in  pursuit  of  any  stray 
boats  of  the  enemy.  On  the  20th,  they  perceived  a 


376          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

large  barge,  full  of  soldiers,  on  its  way  from  the  Bayou 
Bienveim,  and  immediately  the  boats  commenced  pur- 
suit. The  carronade  being  brought  to  bear  on  the 
barge,  she  quickly  surrendered,,  the  men  on  board 
throwing  their  arms  into  the  Lake.  It  proved  to  be  a 
British  barge,  having  on  board  thirty-seven  British 
soldiers  of  the  14th  dragoons,  under  Lieutenant  Brydges 
and  Cornet  Hammond,  who  were  on  their  way  to  the 
British  squadron.  These  prisoners  were  placed  in 
charge  of  five  armed  men,  and  were  conducted  to  the 
American  camp  at  Chef  Menteur.  Shields  and  Morrel 
then  made  another  sortie  and  captured  several  boats,  a 
schooner  and  sixty-three  prisoners,  but  owing  to  the 
wind  and  high  currents,  their  boats  became  separated, 
and  the  schooner  unmanageable,  and  their  prisoners 
refractory.  So  they  concluded  to  set  fire  to  the 
schooner.  The  h're  having  attracted  the  notice  of 
the  British  boats,  several  of  them  approached  her. 
Shields  and  Morrel  landed  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Rigolets.  The  British  attempted  to  cut  them  off  by 
landing  a  party  above  them,  but  Morrel,  with  a  party 
of  twenty  men,  having  approached,  suddenly  opened 
upon  them  from  the  high  reeds,  and  after  three  volleys, 
caused  them  to  leave  in  haste.  Finally,  the  party 
being  in  great  danger  of  capture  from  the  British 
boats,  which  several  times  attacked  them,  but  were 
beaten  off,  Dr.  Morrel  was  sent  over  to  Petitea 
Coquilles  for  reinforcements.  Shields,  left  alone  with 
the  prisoners  and  a  small  guard,  seeing  a  gun-boat  in 
the  distance,  bearing  up  towards  him,  concluded  that 
he  would  retire,  and  so  discharging  his  prisoners  on 
parole,  hurried  to  meet  Morrel  and  Newman,  who  were 
preparing  to  join  him  with  a  reinforcement  at  Petites 


CLOSING   INCIDENTS. 

Coquilles,  where  lie  arrived  safely  with  twenty-two 
prisoners.  The  result  of  this  brilliant  little  enterprise 
shows  how  much  the  British  could  have  been  annoyed 
if  our  gun-boats  could  have  got  under  the  fort  of  Petites 
Coquilles  and  escaped  capture  on  the  14th  December. 
There  were  other  exploits  performed  by  detached  par- 
ties, which  we  are  prevented  from  describing,  by  the 
apprehension  of  rendering  these  sketches  too  voluminous. 
Their  glory  and  splendor,  which,  in  any  less  brilliant 
campaign,  would  have  secured  high  renown  to  those 
participating  in  them,  are  lost  in  the  superior  radiance 
of  those  greater  events,  that  have  rendered  the  Defence 
of  New  Orleans,  in  1814,  the  most  complete  and  bril- 
liant campaign  in  modern  history. 

On  the  17th  January,  a  cartel  for  the  exchange  of 
prisoners  having  been  agreed  upon,  the  18th  was  tixed 
for  the  pleasing  ceremony  of  receiving  some  of  the  best 
citizens  of  New  Orleans,  whose  long  detention  in  the 
British  fleet  had  produced  much  anxiety  among  their 
friends.  The  ceremony  was  a  joyous  and  exciting  one. 
A  detachment  of  Plauche's  battalion  and  the  whole  of 
Beale's  rifles  were  formed  in  column,  and,  preceded  by 
the  splendid  brass  band  of  the  volunteers,  marched, 
under  Captain  Roche,  to  the  line  indicated  near  the 
British  outposts ;  there  they  were  formed  as  if  for  a 
review.  Presently  the  American  prisoners  were  escorted 
by  detachment  of  the  British  95th  rifles,  and  the  officers 
in  command  saluting  Captain  Roche,  delivered  to  him 
a  roll  of  the  prisoners,  which,  being  called  out,  all 
answered  to  their  names.  Roche  then  called  out,  "  For- 
ward, Americans !"  and  the  whole  band  advanced  down 
the  line  of  the  battalion  under  a  salute.  Open  column 
was  then  formed,  and  the  ex-prisoners  being  placed  in 


378  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

front,  the  procession  inarched  towards  the  American 
Jines,  the  band  playing  a  lively  air.  As  they  approached 
the  lines,  there  was  a  simultaneous  shout  of  joy  from  the 
whole  American  army,  and  when  they  had  got  within 
the  entrenchment,  there  were  hundreds  of  personal 
friends  who  rushed  forward  to  embrace  and  welcome 
them.  Most  of  these  ex-prisoners  were  leading  gentle- 
men of  the  city,  who  had  been  captured  on  the  night 
of  the  23d.  Jackson  sent  for  them,  and  on  their  arrival 
at  his  headquarters,  congratulated  and  complimented 
them  in  very  warm  terms.  Though  it  had  been  a  source 
of  great  mortification  to  these  gallant  men,  to  be  absent 
from  the  army  during  its  great  trial,  their  detention  in 
the  fleet  had  been  rendered  quite  tolerable,  if  not,  plea- 
sant, by  the  kindly  and  courteous  conduct  of  the  British 
naval  commander  of  the  Royal  Oak,  on  which  ship  most 
of  the  prisoners  had  been  detained,  and  by  other  naval 
officers. 

We  pass  over  many  minor  incidents  of  the  campaign, 
in  order  to  approach  the  great  event  which  relieved 
Louisiana  of  the  presence  of  the  foe  that  had  so  long 
desecrated  her  soil,  and  threatened  her  honor  and  safety. 

After  the  battle  of  the  eighth,  Lambert  was  not  long 
in  arriving  at  the  conclusion,  that  the  expedition  had 
signally  failed,  and  all  that  was  left  to  him  was  to 
collect  the  fragments  of  the  army  and  retire  as  speedily 
as  possible,  from  the  scene  of  so  many  sad  disasters  and 
painful  associations.  With  this  view,  he  proceeded  with 
great  prudence  and  caution,  in  making  the  necessary 
arrangements  for  the  withdrawal  of  the  army.  As 
scores  of  his  men  were  daily  deserting,  he  had  reason 
to  apprehend  that  his  watchful  foe  would  harass  his 
jretreat,  and  omit  no  opportunity  to  inflict  further  injury 


CLOSING    INCIDENTS.  379 

upon  him.  To  retire  as  they  had  come,  in  boats,  was 
impracticable.  There  were  not  boats  enough,  and  it 
would  not  be  safe  to  divide  the  army  in  the  presence 
of  an  enemy  emboldened  by  recent  victories.  To  moot 
this  exigency,  he  directed  the  engineers  to  extend  the 
road,  which  ran  for  some  distance  along  the  bayou, 
through  the  swamp  to  the  lake  shore,  keeping  as  near 
as  possible  to  the  bank  of  the  bayou. 

This  was  a  very  severe  and  difficult  task,  which 
occupied  the  engineers  and  strong  working  parties  for 
nine  days.  It  was  finally  completed,  and  an  apparently 
tolerable  good  road  was  made  along  the  bayou,  crossing 
it  by  bridges  of  boats  from  the  right  to  the  left  bank, 
until  it  reached  an  elbow  of  the  bayou,  when  the  road 
took  a  direct  course  through  the  prairie  until  it  terrm% 
nated  on  the  lake  shore,  near  the  Fishermen's  Village. 
This  road  was  made  of  reeds,  made  up  into  bundles, 
and  stamped  down.  But  for  the  continued  rains  it 
would  have  been  a  very  good  way.  At  the  confluence 
of  the  Bienvenu  and  Jumonville,  and  of  the  former  with 
the  Mazant,  small  works  were  thrown  up  to  cover  the 
retirement  of  the  army.  Having  completed  this  road, 
the  whole  of  the  wounded,  except  those  which  could 
not  be  removed,  were  placed  in  boats ;  then  all  the  civil 
officers,  the  contractors,  surveyors,  &c.,  together  with 
all  the  field  artillery,  stores,  &c.,  followed,  and  were 
dispatched  to  the  fleet.  The  large  ship-guns  were 
gpiked,  their  carriages  broken,  and  then  left  on  the  field. 

And,  now,  all  that  were  left  were  the  infantry.  Hav- 
ing relieved  himself  of  all  incumbrances,  Lambert  pre- 
pared, on  the  night  of  the  18th,  to  steal  off  with  his 
army. 

Accordingly,  the  whole  army  was  silently  and  steal- 


380  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

thily  formed  in  column,  the  engineers,  sappers  and 
miners  in  front.  The  camp  fires  were  lighted  anew. 
The  piquets  were  all  stationed  as  usual.  Each  sentinel 
was  prepared  with  a  stuffed  paddy  to  place  in  his  stead. 
The  piquets  were  directed  to  form,  as  the  column 
reached  the  bayou,  into  a  rear-guard,  and  follow  the 
army.  Thus,  while  darkness  covered  the  field,  the 
army  took  up  its  line  of  march,  in  silence  and  dread. 
Not  a  cough  or  sneeze  could  be  heard  in  the  whole 
column,  and  even  their  steps  were  so  planted  as  to  create 
no  sound.  Thus  they  proceeded  for  some  distance  along 
the  bayou  in  a  pretty  good  road ;  but  when  they  began 
to  diverge  from  its  banks  into  the  swamp,  the  continual 
tramping  made  the  road  very  bad,  and  the  rear  of  the 
column  had  to  march  up  to  their  knees  in  mud.  With 
no  other  light  but  the  faint  twinkle  of  the  stars,  this 
fine  army  which,  but  a  few  weeks  ago,  had  advanced 
along  the  same  road  so  full  of  pride  and  hope,  now 
stealthily  slunk  through  the  dark,  damp  swamp,  full  of 
alarm,  shivering  with  cold,  and  depressed  by  defeats, 
hunger  and  exposure.  They  marched  all  night,  and 
just  as  the  break  of  day  began  to  relieve  the  surround- 
ing darkness  by  a  faint  glimmer  of  light,  they  reached 
the  desolate  shores  of  Lake  Borgne,  and  drew  up  on  its 
banks  exposed  to  a  keen  western  wind  that  came  across 
the  broad  surface  of  the  lake.  Nor  did  their  arrival 
here  improve  the  spirits  or  prospects  of  the  men  ;  they 
were  now  sixty  miles  from  the  fleet.  Suppose,  from 
high  winds  or  other  causes,  the  boats  should  not  arrive, 
they  might  starve  there  for  want  of  provisions,  or  from 
cold — for  there  was  no  fuel  but  the  dry  weed,  that 
burnt  up  like  tinder. 

Here  the  army  remained  in  this  desolate  situation 


CLOSING  INCIDENTS.  381 

imtil  the  27th,  when  the  whole  reembarked  and  finally 
reached  the  fleet,  with  a  few  casualties,  and  after  much 
suffering  and  distress. 

This  retreat  was  the  ablest  feature  of  the  campaign, 
and  reflects  high  credit  upon  the  commander  of  the 
British  and  the  discipline  of  the  army. 

During  the  campaign,  which  was  thus  terminated  on 
the  part  of  the  British,  the  Jamaica  Gazette  contained 
the  following  article,  which  was  extensively  copied 
throughout  the  States : 

"  The  British  are,  no  doubt,  before  this  time  in  possession  of  New 
Orleans.  They  have  eight  thousand  regular  troops  and  two  thou- 
sand sailors  and  marines.  The  enemy's  force  are  the  7th  and  44th 
regiments,  and  10  or  12,000  militia,  who  are  compelled  to  serve. 
It  is  said  that  General  Jackson  sent  a  message  to  Sir  Edward  Pack- 
enharn,  saying  that  he  felt  for  the  awkward  predicament  into  which 
the  British  army  had  been  brought,  and  not  being  desirous  to  take 
advantage  of  it,  he  would  allow  Sir  Edward  ten  days  to  reembark 
with  the  whole  of  his  force.  If  this  offer  had  been  rejected,  he 
could  not  be  answerable  for  the  consequences.  Sir  Edward  answered 
in  a  laconic  style,  that  in  ten  days  he  would  give  him  an  answer." 

"  There  is  many  a  truth,  that  is  said  in  jest."  If 
not  in  the  exact  terms  of  this  British  journal,  a  mes- 
sage of  that  import,  conveying  the  idea  here  expressed, 
was  delivered  by  Jackson,  from  his  lines,  on  the  8th  of 
January  1815.  Precisely  in  ten  days  thereafter,  the 
successor  of  Packenham  gave  a  very  different  answer 
from  that  ascribed  to  Sir  Edward,  by  withdrawing  the 
army  from  its  position,  and  acting  on  the  sensible  hint, 
which  proved  to  be  no  idle  bravado,  of  the  American 
general. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  rumors  of  the 
retreat  of  the  British  began  to  circulate  through  the 


382  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

American  camp.  Officers  and  men  collected  in  groups 
on  the  parapet  to  survey  the  enemy's  camp,  and  much 
discussion  arose  as  to  whether  they  had  really  gone,  or 
were  only  "  playing  possum  " — to  use  a  common  Ameri- 
can phrase — laying  in  wait  to  entice  them  from  their 
entrenchment.  Their  camp  presented  pretty  much  the 
same  appearance  ;  their  huts  were  standing,  flags  were 
flying,  and  sentinels  were  posted.  -  General  Jackson  and 
his  staff  surveyed  the  camp  through  the  powerful  teles- 
cope stationed  in  the  window  of  Macarte's.  The  general 
was  not  satisfied  that  they  had  gone.  His  aids  were  of  the 
same  opinion.  At  last  the  veteran  Humbert,  was  called 
on  for  his  opinion.  He  took  a  view  through  the  tele- 
scope, and  immediately  exclaimed  "  they  are  gone  !" 
When  asked  his  reason  for  this  belief,  he  called  the 
attention  of  the  general  to  a  crow  flying  very  near  to 
one  of  their  sentinels.  This  showed  that  they  were 
images,  stuffed  paddies.  The  whole  plot  was  now  un- 
derstood. Jackson  ordered  a  reconnoitering  party 
to  proceed  to  the  front.  "Whilst  it  was  forming,  a  flag 
of  truce  was  seen  approaching  the  lines.  It  was  borne 
by  a  medical  officer  of  the  British  army,  who  announced 
that  he  had  a  letter  from  General  Lambert  to  General 
Jackson.  Eagerly  the  general  broke  the  seal  and  pe- 
rused the  letter,  which  was  a  courteous  one,  announcing 
that  the  British  army  had  departed,  and  their  corn- 
man  der-in-chief  solicited  the  kind  attentions  of  General 
Jackson  to  the  sick  and  wounded,  whom,  to  the  number 
of  eighty,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  behind.  Soon  the 
intelligence  flew  through  the  camp,  and  loud  hurrahs 
1  were  heard  in  every  direction.  But  Jackson's  vigilance 
was  not  to  be  lulled  by  even  this  gratifying  incident. 
He  ordered  Colonel  Laronde,  who  understood  the  coun- 


CLOSING  INCIDENTS. 

try,  to  proceed  with  Colonel  Kemper  and  a  detachment 
of  Hind's  dragoons,  and  harass  the  enemy's  rear,  and 
directed  Major  Villere",  with  a  small  party,  to  scour  the 
woods  about  his  father's  house.  Owing  to  the  precau- 
tions of  the  British  to  protect  their  rear  with  redoubts, 
these  attempts  were  not  productive  of  any  advantage, 
except  to  warn  the  too  impetuous  of  the  Americans 
from  undertaking  what  so  many  recommended — the 
pursuit  of  the  enemy  by  the  whole  army.  Never  were 
the  sagacity  and  wisdom  of  Jackson  more  conspicuously 
displayed  than  in  checking  this  impulse  of  the  army.  The 
counsel  of  Themistocles,  in  the  assembly  of  the  Grecian 
chiefs,  against  destroying  the  bridge  across  the  Helles- 
pont, so  as  to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  discomfited 
army  of  Xerxes,  did  not  display  a  profound er  wisdom 
than  the  refusal  of  Jackson  to  pursue,  with  his  raw 
troops,  a  desperate  and  powerful  army  like  Lambert's. 
It  was  a  sharp  reproval  of  an  impetuous  young  officer, 
who,  advocating  the  pursuit,  declared  that  "  if  he  had 
ten  thousand  Tennesseeans  or  Kentuckians,  he  could 
march  into  London,"  "  And  when  you  make  the  at- 
tempt," said  Jackson,  "  I  should  like  to  be  there  to 
command  you." 

Dispatching  Dr.  Kerr,  surgeon-general  of  the  army, 
with  the  British  surgeon,  to  the  hospital  at  Jumonrille's, 
Jackson  rode  forth,  accompanied  by  his  aids,  to  inspect 
the  British  camp.  He  found  fourteen  pieces  of  large 
cannon  left  behind,  many  implements  of  war,  and  a 
great  quantity  of  private  as  well  as  public  property  of 
the  British  army.  Yisitingvthe  British  officers  at  their 
hospital,  he  assured  them  of  his  sympathy  and  of  every 
attention,  which  their  condition  needed.  One  of  these 
wounded  officers  was  Lieutenant  D'Arcy,  of  the  43d, 


384          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

whose  legs  were  carried  away  by  a  cannon  ball,  some 
days  after  the  8th.  The  circumstances  of  these  wounded 
men  being  made  known  in  the  city,  a  number  of  ladies 
rode  down  in  their  carriages  with  such  articles  as  were 
deemed  essential  to  the  comfort  of  the  unfortunates. 
One  of  these  ladies  was  a  belle  of  the  city,  famed 
for  her  charms  of  person  and  mind.  Seeing  her  noble 
philanthropy  and  devotion  to  his  countrymen,  one  of  the 
British  surgeons  conceived  a  warm  regard  and  admira- 
tion which  subsequent  acquaintance  ripened  into  love. 
This  surgeon  settled  in  New  Orleans  after  the  war,  espous- 
ed the  Creole  lady,  whose  acquaintance  he  had  made 
under  such  interesting  circumstances,  and  became  an 
esteemed  citizen,  and  the  father  of  a  large  family.  This 
was  the  late  Dr.  J.  C.  Kerr,  recently  deceased,  whose  gal- 
lant son,  Yictor  Kerr,  was  murdered  by  the  Spanish 
authorities  at  Havana,  in  the  party  of  Colonel  Critten- 
den,  in  1851,  uttering  as  his  last  words,  "  I  die  like  a 
Louisianian  and  a  freeman  1" 

Jackson  now  turned  his  attention  to  the  distribution 
of  his  troops,  so  as  to  command  all  the  approaches  of 
the  city  and  guard  against  the  return  of  the  enemy. 
He  then  prepared  to  re-enter  the  city,  which  in  so  brief 
a  campaign,  and  by  such  brilliant  courage  and  wise 
prudence,  he  had  rescued  from  dishonor  and  disgrace, 
to  receive  the  homage  of  a  grateful  and  devoted  people. 


THE   FINALE.  385 


XIX. 

THE   FINALE. 

DN  tlie  20tli  of  January  Jackson  entered  the  city  for 
the  first  time  since  the  23d  of  December,  when  lie 
marched  forth  to  meet  the  enemy.  lie  was  received 
with  boundless  demonstrations  of  joy.  The  people  at- 
tended him  in  crowds  to  his  quarters  in  the  Faubourg 
Mflrigny,  in  the  fine  old  Spanish  edifice  which  now 
stands  a  conspicuous  monument  of  the  past.  The  first 
display  of  popular  feeling  was  too  wild  to  be  controlled 
by  any  regular  method  or  system.  At  Jackson's  request 
the  Abbe"  Dubourg,  Apostolic  Prefect  of  the  State  of 
Louisiana,  appointed  the  23d  as  a  day  of  public  thanks- 
giving to  the  Almighty,  for  his  signal  interposition  in 
behalf  of  the  safety  and  honor  of  the  country.  That 
day  was  ushered  in  by  a  discharge  of  artillery,  which 
caused  many  a  citizen  and  soldier  to  leap  from  his  plea- 
sant couch,  under  the  delusion  that  it  was  all  a  dream, 
that  his  toil  was  over  and  the  enemy  had  really  de- 
parted. New  Orleans,  never  before  or  since,  exhibited 
BO  gay  and  happy  a  scene,  as  on  that  bright  23d  of 
January,  1815.  All  the  contentions,  horrors,  sufferings, 
and  troubles  of  the  war  were  forgotten,  and  a  spirit  of 
unrestrained  happiness,  of  cordial  harmony  and  good- 
will, pervaded  the  whole  population. 

Fully  to  appreciate  the  animation  and  enthusiasm  of 

17 


386  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

that  memorable  day,  it  is  necessary  to  listen  to  the  glow 
ing  details  of  the  surviving  veterans  who  participated 
in  chose  joyous  scenes,  and  whose  declining  days  are 
constantly  made  happy  by  those  proud  reminiscences. 

The  old  cathedral  was  burnished  np  for  the  occasion. 
Evergreens  decorated  the  entrance  and  the  interior.  The 
Public  Square,  or  Plaza,  blazed  with  beauty,  splendor 
and  elegance.  In  its  centre  stood  a  graceful  triumphal 
arch,  supported  by  six  Corinthian  columns  and  festooned 
with  evergreens  and  flowers.  Beneath  the  arch  stood  two 
young  children  on  pedestals,  holding  a  laurel  wreath, 
whilst  near  them,  as  if  their  guardian  angels,  was  a 
bright  damsel,  representing  Liberty,  and  a  more  sedate 
one  personifying  Justice.  From  the  arch  to  the  en- 
trance of  the  cathedral  the  loveliest  girls  of  the  city 
had  been  ranged  in  two  rows,  to  represent  the  various 
States  and  Territories.  They  were  dressed  in  pure 
white,  with  blue  veils  and  silver  stars  on  their  brows. 
Each  bore  a  small  flag,  inscribed  with  the  name  of  the 
State  she  represented,  and  a  small  basket  trimmed  with 
blue  ribands  and  full  of  flowers.  Behind  each  a  shield 
and  lance  were  stuck  in  the  ground,  with  the  name, 
motto  and  seal  of  each  of  the  States.  The  shields  were 
linked  together  with  verdant  festoons,  which  extended 
from  the  arch  to  the  door  of  the  cathedral. 

Precisely  at  the  appointed  time,  Gen.  Jackson  ap- 
peared with  his  staff  at  the  gate  of  the  plaza  fronting 
the  river.  He  was  received  with  salvos  of  artillery. 
Entering  the  square,  he  was  conducted  to  the  arch, 
where  the  two  little  girls,  reaching  forward  with  blush- 
ing, smiling  faces,  placed  the  laurel  wreath  on  his  brow. 
What  a  benign  smile  relieved  the  sternness  of  that  heroic 
countenance,  when  the  innocent  faces  of  the  pretty  little 


THE   FINALE.  387 

ones  arose  to  his  view,  as  with  so  much  pride  and  delight 
they  performed  the  high  task  assigned  to  them.  Who 
would  not  be  stern  and  heroic  in  defence  of  those  dear 
ones  ?  Who  would  not  incur  every  peril,  as  well  against 
the  jealousy  and  discontent  of  friends,  as  against  the 
open  hostilities  of  foes,  in  such  a  cause  ? 

Such  were,  no  doubt,  the  reflections  that  passed 
through  a  mind,  which  combined  in  an  extraordinary 
degree  the  strong  and  tender  traits  of  humanity.  And 
now,  with  the  laurel  on  his  brow,  amid  the  enthusiastic 
shouts  of  the  people,  he  descends  1he  stairs  of  the  arch, 
and  is  met  by  a  lovely  young  lady,  radiant  with  all  the 
charms  of  Creole  beauty — with  face,  form,  manners 
and  expression,  such  as  the  most  aspiring  artist  might 
have  dreamed  of  as  the  model  for  his  Venus.  Fit  repre- 
sentative of  Louisiana,  this  beautiful  damsel  addresses 
the  laureled  chief  in  a  speech  glowing  with  gratitude 
and  eloquence.  All  the  rigor  has  faded  from  that  stern 
countenance,  and  the  victorious  General  humbles  him- 
self at  the  shrine  of  female  beauty  and  innocence,  and 
replies  in  words  that  thrill  with  emotion,  that  his  merits 
have  been  exalted  far,  far  above  their  real  worth.  But 
the  modest  confession  is  drowned  by  a  shower  of  flowers, 
amid  which,  the  Hero,  supported  by  his  staff,  is  led  to 
the  entrance  of  the  Cathedral.  Here  he  is  met  by  the 
patriotic  and  revered  Abbe  Dubourg,  clad  in  pontifical 
robes  and  supported  by  a  college  of  priests.  The 
reverend  gentleman  addresses  him  in  a  speech  of  more 
than  ordinary  eloquence,  in  which,  whilst  due  praise 
is  accorded  to  the  Hero,  the  ascription  of  the  higher 
glory  is  given  to  that  Divine  Source  of  all  wisdom 
and  goodness,  by  whose  inspiration  and  influence  those 
signal  services  were  directed  to  the  salvation  of  the 


388  JACKSON     AND    NEW     ORLEANS. 

country  and  the  confusion  and  defeat  of  her  enemies. 
Jackson  replies  briefly,  tastefully  and  modestly.  He  is 
then  conducted  into  the  Cathedral  and  escorted  to  a 
conspicuous  seat  near  the  altar.  Te  Deum  is  then 
chanted  in  the  grand  and  impressive  manner  in  which 
that  melodious  outburst  of  gratitude  is  usually  rendered 
by  the  choirs  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  The 
people  join  in  the  noble  hymn.  The  gallant  battalion 
d'Orle'ans  guards  the  entrance  of  the  Cathedral  and  tills 
the  aisles.  The  war-worn  countenances  of  the  young 
Creoles  next  to  the  person  of  the  General,  are  objects  of 
warmest  regard  to  the  hundreds  of  mothers,  wives, 
sisters  and  lovers,  who  crowd  the  interior  of  the  Cathe- 
dral on  this  joyful  occasion. 

The  ceremony  being  concluded,  Jackson  retired  to 
his  quarters.  That  night  the  whole  city  was  illuminated. 
At  last,  the  people,  wearied  by  the  wild  enthusiasm  and 
inexhaustible  joyfulness  of  the  great  event,  sunk  into 
slumbers  that  were  no  longer  disturbed  by  dreams  of 
sack,  ruin,  bloodshed  and  devastation.  And  so  con- 
cluded the  triumphal  festivity  of  New  Orleans,  which 
had  been  so  miraculously  saved  from  dishonor  and 
destruction. 

The  next  day  Jackson  resumed  his  severe  cares  and 
toils.  The  enemy  had  not  yet  abandoned  the  shores  of 
Louisiana.  Even  whilst  the  city  resounded  with  the 
notes  of  rejoicing  and  triumph,  the  powerful  remnant  of 
his  army  lay  shivering  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Borgne. 
Jackson's  force  was  still  weak.  It  is  true,  troops  were 
daily  pouring  into  the  city,  and  the  long  expected  arms, 
sent  by  the  Federal  authorities,  had  arrived.  But  the 
British,  too,  had  been  reinforced.  They  might  attempt 
the  attack  in  another  quarter.  They  1/ad  their  honor 


THE   FINALE.  389 

to  redeem,  and  would  be  desperate  in  the  attempt.  This 
was  no  time  to  relax  his  vigilance  and  discipline.  Mar- 
tial law,  which  had  been  so  effectual  in  the  preservation 
of  the  city,  must  be  continued.  As  an  evidence  of  the 
presence  of  the  enemy  in  their  neighborhood,  the  fact 
was  made  known  that  a  detachment,  under  Hinds, 
Humbert  and  Latrobe,  having  gone  to  reconnoitre  the 
British  rear,  was  fired  upon,  and  one  man  killed.  It 
was  not,  in  truth,  until  the  27th,  that  all  the  British 
army  had  reembarked  ;  and  then  they  did  not  leave  the 
bays  adjacent  to  New  Orleans,  but  proceeded  to  Dau- 
phin Island,  near  the  mouth  of  Mobile  Bay,  where  their 
ships  came  to  anchor,  and  the  troops  being  landed  on 
the  island,  formed  the  first  regular  camp. 

Now  ensued  the  most  vexatious  and  disagreeable  task 
of  the  General,  to  reconcile  the  militia  to  longer  deten- 
tion from  their  homes  and  families.  Flushed  with 
victory  and  pride  of  their  exploits,  impatient  to  rejoin 
their  friends  and  participate  in  the  public  rejoicings, 
many  of  Jackson's  army,  assigned  to  the  most  important 
trusts,  manifested  a  restlessness  and  disregard  of  whole- 
some restraint,  which  it  was  necessary  to  check.  Mar- 
tial law  had  been  declared  on  the  15th  December.  It 
had  been  the  shield  and  buckler  of  the  city — its  pro- 
clamation the  clarion  which  had  hushed  all  discord,  and 
called  all  classes  to  the  common  defence.  Jackson 
could  never  have  educed  such  order,  energy,  harmony 
— such  complete  and  glorious  results,  from  the  chaos 
in  which  he  found  affairs  when  he  arrived  in  the  city, 
except  by  taking  the  control  entirely  in  his  own  hands, 
and  thereby  quieting  the  conflicts  and  divisions  between 
the  various  parties  and  authorities  that  had  previously 
claimed  to  administer  the  government  and  police.  This 


390  JACKSON    AND    NEW    OKLEAN8. 

declaration  of  martial  law,  we  have  said,  had  received 
the  approbation  of  the  leading  official  and  prominent 
characters  of  the  State.  Its  necessity  and  utility  need  not 
be  based,  as  has  erroneously  been  done,  on  a  suspicion 
of  infidelity  and  treachery  among  the  population  and 
officials.  Such  a  suspicion  was  groundless;  it  was  the 
offspring  of  the  gross  misrepresentation  of  zealous 
partisans,  and  of  a  too  easy  credulity.  No  such  feel-- 
ings had  ever  entered  the  hearts  of  any  Louisianians, 
nor  of  the  foreign  population  then  identified  with  the 
State.  But  for  other  reasons  and  objects  this  declaration 
of  martial  law  was  necessary,  in  order  to  produce 
harmony  and  efficiency  in  a  great  emergency,  for  which 
the  ordinary  processes  and  institutions  of  the  constitu 
tion  and  laws  were  inadequate.  We  need  no  better 
illustration  of  its  necessity  than  when,  after  the  repulse 
of  the  British,  soine  of  Jackson's  men  began  to  falter, 
and  shrink  from  duties,  the  importance  of  which  was 
so  clearly  perceived,  and  so  deeply  felt  by  him,  who 
bore  the  great  responsibility  of  preserving  the  laurels 
already  gained.  In  extenuation  of  this  impatience,  it 
should  be  remembered  that  sickness  prevailed  among 
the  militia,  and  their  stations  were  exceedingly  exposed 
and  uncomfortable.  Murmurs  loud  and  open  were 
uttered  by  them,  which  were  caught  up  by  their  over 
anxious  friends  in  the  city,  and  echoed  through  its 
public  resorts  ;  and  several  of  Jackson's  most  efficient 
soldiers,  Frenchmen  who  had  not  become  naturalized, 
were  induced  to  claim  the  protection  of  their  consul ; 
and  were  thus  enabled  to  abandon  their  posts.  They 
were  willing  arid  eager  to  fight,  but  not  to  incur  the 
more  trying  duties  of  the  camp.  Disgusted  and  irritated 
by  these  desertions,  Jackson  ordered  all  French  citizens 


THE   FINALE.  391 

who   claimed  this  exemption,   out  of  the   city.     This 
order  excited  some  indignation. 

Jackson,  who,  under  the  representations  of  Governor 
Claiborne  and  others,  had  been  led  to  suspect  the 
fidelity  of  the  Legislature,  had  incurred  the  hostility  of 
some  of  its  members,  who  were  eager  to  embrace  any 
opportunity  of  impairing  his  hold  on  the  popular  esteem. 
His  apparently  harsh  measure  against  the  French  citi- 
zens was  made  the  pretext  for  publications  which  were 
calculated  to  produce  disaffection  and  ill-feeling  in  the 
army.  Jackson  traced  one  of  these  publications  to 
Mr.  Louaillier,  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  and  ordered 
him  to  be  arrested,  and  tried  under  martial  law,  for  this 
act  of  mutiny.  Louaillier  had  been  a  very  active  and 
useful  citizen  during  the  defence  of  the  city,  and  his 
arrest  on  that  account  excited  considerable  sympathy. 
Application  was  made  for  a  habeas  corpus  to  Judge 
11  all,  of  the  United  States  Court,  and  the  application 
being  granted,  Jackson  deemed  it  a  violation  of  his 
jurisdiction  under  martial  law,  and  ordered  the  arrest 
of  the  Judge.  He  was  accordingly  arrested,  and  con- 
ducted beyond  the  limits  of  the  city.  We  content  our- 
selves with  stating  the  main  facts  of  these  unhappy 
conflicts,  without  entering  into  the  details,  or  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  questions  of  law  which  have  grown  out 
of  them. 

On  the  4th  February,  Jackson  dispatched  a  commis- 
sion composed  of  his  Aid,  Edward  Livingston,  Captain 
Maunsel  White,  of  the  Louisiana  Blues,  and  R.  D.  Shep- 
herd, Esq.,  Aid  of  Commodore  Patterson,  to  the  British 
fleet.  This  mission  had  several  objects.  Livingston's 
duties  referred  to  the  negotiations  of  a  cartel  for  a 
further  exchange  of  prisoners,  and  the  return  of  the 


392  JACKSON   AND  NEW    ORLEANS. 

slaves  of  the  planters  which  had  been  taken  away  by 
the  British  army.  Captain  White  being  a  relative  of' 
the  planters  who  had  lost  the  largest  number  of  their 
slaves,  was  authorized  to  receive  them  in  case  they  were 
delivered.  These  gentlemen  arrived  in  the  British  fleet 
at  an  inoportune  juncture.  It  was  on  the  7th  February, 
just  after  General  Lambert  and  Admiral  Cochrane  had 
commenced  their  preparations  to  take  Fort  Bowyer. 
Admiral  Cochrane  stated  that  their  visit  was  an  un- 
timely one,  but  received  them  courteously  on  the  flag 
ship,  the  Tonnant,  where  they  remained  for  several 
days.  Quite  an  agreeable  intimacy  sprung  up  between 
these  gentlemen  and  the  chiefs  of  the  British  army  and 
navy,  which  was  marked  by  many  incidents  of  a  highly 
gratifying  character  to  the  Americans.  One  of  these 
was  the  presentation  of  a  sword,  which  had  been  found 
on  the  battle-field,  and  was  claimed  by  General  Keane, 
as  the  gift  of  a  very  dear  friend.  It  was  generally 
believed  that  this  was  Packenham's  sword.  The  Bri- 
tish prisoners  declared  that  it  was  the  commander-in- 
chief  s,  and  the  officers  on  the  occasion  of  the  presenta- 
tion manifested  great  surprise  that  it  should  be  claimed 
by  Keane.  It  is  well  known  that  Packenham  was 
struck  in  the  sword  arm  some  minutes  before  he  received 
his  mortal  wound,  and  that  when  he  was  advancing 
near  the  American  lines  he  had  no  sword,  but  waved 
his  cap  in  his  left  hand.  Jackson,  however,  could  not 
resist  the  claim  so  warmly  urged  by  Keane,  and  Mr. 
Livingston  was  instructed  to  deliver  the  sword,  which 
lie  did  on  board  of  the  Tonnant,  accompanying  the  act 
with  some  appropriate  and  eloquent  allusions  to  the 
value  which  a  gallant  soldier  must  attach  to  the  weapon 
he  had  worn  sO  honorably  in  so  many  perils  and  con- 


THE   FINALE.  393 

filets.  General  Keane  responded  in  handsome  terms. 
The  hilarity  which  followed  the  scene,  prompted  some 
of  the  younger  officers,  who  had  not  been  in  the  action 
of  the  8th,  to  twit,  in  a  familiar  manner,  the  gallant 
General  for  the  very  equivocal  circumstance,  of  losing 
his  sword  in  battle.  The  General,  who  was  as  quick- 
witted as  brave,  promptly  replied,  "  My  young  friends, 
if  you  had  been  where  I  was  on  the  8th  of  January 
last,  you  would  have  lost  your  heads  as  well  as  your 
swords." 

In  the  unrestricted  intercourse  and  conversation, 
which  arose  between  the  Americans  and  the  British 
officers,  the  former  ascertained  that  both  the  British 
officers  and  soldiers  were  exceedingly  disgusted  with 
the  expedition  which  had  terminated  so  ingloriously — 
that  the  war  was  one  that  did  not  from  the  first  engage 
their  feelings  or  satisfy  their  consciences,  and  that  they 
looked  to  the  conclusion  of  peace  between  the  two 
countries,  as  an  event  that  would  give  them  unalloyed 
delight  and  satisfaction.  The  younger  officers  consoled 
themselves  by  dwelling  on  the  sad  disappointment  of 
the  civilians  who  had  come  over  to  administer  the  civil 
offices  of  the  new  colony  of  Louisiana,  and  particularly 
the  indescribable  distress  of  the  unfortunate  gentleman 
who  had  resigned  the  profitable  appointment  of  Collec- 
tor of  Barbadoes,  and  with  bag  and  baggage,  includ- 
ing five  marriageable  daughters,  had  come  over 
to  assume  the  Controllership  of  the  finances  of  the 
expected  territorial  acquisition.  The  young  ladies, 
being  well  educated  and  quite  fashionable,  were  to  take 
the  lead  in  the  gay  assemblies  in  New  Orleans.  Oh ! 
how  keen  must  have  been  the  chagrin  of  these  gentle 

17* 


394          JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

maidens,  to  be  compelled  thus  to  return  to  the  dull 
circles  of  Barbadoes ! 

It  was  whilst  these  Americans  were  detained  on  the 
Tonnant,  that  the  British  landed  a  large  force  on  the 
tongue  of  land  at  the  extremity  of  which  stands  Fort 
Bowyer,  and  surrounded  it  on  the  sea-side  by  their 
squadron,  and  by  gradual  approaches,  by  cutting  off  all 
reinforcements,  and  bringing  a  powerful  force  of  rifle- 
men to  bear  on  the  fort,  from  trenches,  which  were 
extended  within  fifty  yards  of  the  guns,  and  by  estab- 
lishing several  redoubts,  with  heavy  eighteen  and 
twenty-four  pounders,  during  all  of  which  operations 
the  fort  kept  up  a  brisk  fire,  succeeded  in  compelling 
Colonel  Lawrence  to  capitulate  on  honorable  terms. 
Lawrence  had  less  than  four  hundred  men,  his  provi- 
sions were  greatly  reduced,  and  the  rude  and  ill-made 
fort  was  entirely  indefensible  against  an  attack  by  land. 
Lawrence  had  gained  glory  enough  in  his  brilliant 
defence  on  the  15th  September,  1814,  to  save  his  capi- 
tulation from  the  slightest  suspicion  or  censure.  A 
whole  British  brigade,  composed  of  the  4th,  21st,  and 
44th  regiments,  and  the  95th  rifles,  cutting  off  commu- 
nications with  Mobile,  whence  a  reinforcement  had  been 
sent  to  his  relief,  under  Major  Blue,  and  the  presence  of 
the  powerful  squadron  in  their  front,  would  have  ren- 
dered further  resistance  rash  and  vain.  The  capture  of 
Fort  Bowyer  was  a  preparatory  measure  to  an  expedi- 
tion against  Mobile,  with  the  possession  of  which,  the 
British  hoped  to  obliterate  the  shame  of  their  failure 
before  New  Orleans.  Lawrence  marched  the  garrison 
out  of  Fort  Bowyer  with  all  the  honors  of  war.  The 
capitulation  was  so  arranged  as  to  enable  some  of  the 


THE  F1HALE.  395 

naval  commanders  to  get  up  a  drama  which  might  add 
to  the  importance  of  the  achievement.  A  great  dinner 
was  given  on  the  occasion,  on  board  the  Tonnant,  at 
which  Admiral  Codrington  took  the  head  of  the  table, 
and  the  Americans  were  seated  on  his  right.  After  a 
sumptuous  repast,  and  as  the  dessert  and  wines  were 
brought  on  the  talkie,  the  curtains  of  the  cabin  were 
drawn  aside,  and  a  full  view  of  Fort  Bowyer  presented 
to  the  company  at  the  very  moment  when  the  American 
flag  descended  the  staff,  and  that  of  Great  Britain, 
ascending  under  a  salute  of  artillery,  waved  in  its 
place.  "Well,  Colonel  Livingston,  you  perceive," 
remarked  Admiral  Codringtou,  "  that  our  day  has  com- 
menced," pointing  to  the  British  flag. 

"  Your  good  health,"  replied  Mr.  Livingston,  touch- 
ing glasses  with  the  exultant  Briton.  "  We  do  not 
begrudge  you  that  small  consolation." 

Small  it  proved,  indeed,  as  the  opening  fortunes  of 
the  British  were  suddenly  closed  by  an  event  which 
occurred  on  the  13th,  just  two  days  after  the  surrender 
of  Fort  Bowyer.  On  that  day  Mr.  R.  D.  Shepherd 
was  standing  on  the  deck  of  the  Tonnant  conversing 
with  Admiral  Malcolm,  a  gentleman  of  the  most  amia- 
ble and  genial  manners,  when  a  gig  approached  with 
an  officer,  who  coming  aboard  the  Tonnant,  presented 
to  the  Admiral  a  package.  On  opening  and  reading 
the  contents,  Admiral  Malcolm  took  off  his  cap  and 
gave  a  loud  hurrah.  Then  turning  to  Mr.  Shepherd, 
lie  seized  his  hand  and  grasping  it  warmly,  exclaimed, 
"  Good  news !  good  news !  We  are  friends.  The 
Brazen  has  just  arrived  outside,  with  the  news  of  peace. 
I  am  delighted!"  adding,  in  an  under  tone,  "I  have 
hated  this  war  from  the  beginning." 


396  JACKSON    AND    NEW    ORLEANS. 

Thus,  was  the  design  against  Mobile  happily  nipped 
in  the  bud.^  Mr.  Livingston  and  his  companions 
returned  to  General  Jackson,  with  the  news  of  the  peace, 
on  the  19th  February.  Jackson  announced  the  news  to 
his  army,  but  warned  them  that  the  treaty  had  not  been 
officially  announced,  and  they  must  not  be  thrown  off 
their  guard  by  the  mere  report.  The  ratification  of  the 
treaty,  by  our  Government,  was  essential  to  its  validity. 

Another  incident  which  marked  the  intercourse  of 
the  Americans  and  British,  during  the  sojourn  of  the 
latter  on  Dauphin  island,  is  worthy  to  be  here  inserted. 
It  is  related  in  an  address,  delivered  by  a  surviving 
veteran  of  Plauche^s  battalion,  who  now  commands  the 
brigade  of  which  that  battalion  was  the  origin  and 
nucleus,  Brigadier-General  H.  W.  Palfrey.  Whilst  the 
British  were  on  Dauphin  island,  a  young  corporal  who 
belonged  to  one  of  the  most  respectable  Creole  families, 
attached  to  the  Carabiniers,  was  sent  with  a  flag  of 
truce  to  the  British  camp,  to  endeavor  to  persuade  the 
slaves,  who  had  been  taken  off  by  the  British,  to  return 
to  their  owners. 

The  young  corporal,  then  in  his  citizen's  dress,  carried 
strong  letters  of  recommendation  from  General  Jackson 
to  the  Commander-in-chief,  General  Lambert,  and  to 
the  Admiral  of  the  fleet,  and  from  Edward  Livingston, 
Esq.,  to  Admiral  Cochrane.  The  answer  of  the  British 
General  was,  that  he  could  not  compel  any  of  the  slaves 
to  return ;  that  they  had  followed  the  army  against  his 
will;  but  that  any  of  them  who  would  voluntarily 
return,  might  do  so,  and  for  that  purpose  he  would 
facilitate  an  interview  with  them,  both  on  the  island 
and  on  board  of  the  fleet  lying  in  and  off  the  Mobile 
Bay,  which  was  done.  Many  of  those  slaves  had 


THE   FINALE.  397 

sailed  a  day  or  two  before,  for  some  of  the  West  India 
Islands ;  and  of  those  remaining,  forty  or  fifty  consenUxi 
to  return,  and  did  return. 

On  the  night  of  the  23d  December,  the  late  Landrj 
Lacoste  was  taken  by  surprise,  at  his  brother's  planta 
tion,  below  town,  by  General  Keane's  Division,  when 
the  General  gave  him  his  word  of  honor  that  all  pro- 
perty of  Louisianians  would  be  respected,  and  that  all 
cattle  used  by  the  army  would  be  paid  for.  After  the 
retreat  of  the  army,  Mr.  Lacoste  having  ascertained  his 
loss  of  cattle,  prepared  a  statement  of  the  same,  amount- 
ing to  about  $350,  and  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  the 
young  corporal,  with  a  request  that  he  would  demand 
payment  of  the  same  from  General  Keane.  The  corpo- 
ral accordingly  called  upon  the  General,  at  his  quarters, 
and  found  him  leaning  on  a  large  pine  tree — he  not 
having  recovered  from  a  wound  received  in  the  thigh,  in 
the  battle  of  the  8th  January.  On  being  presented 
with  the  account,  the  General  colored  and  immediately 
said — 

"Sir,  this  is  a  most  extraordinary  demand.  When 
the  promise  was  made  to  pay  such  claims,  it  was  under 
the  belief  that  the  Creoles  would  have  sided  with  us,  or 
at  least  remained  neutral ;  and  they  have,  on  the  con- 
trary, shown  themselves  our  bitterest  enemies  ;  for  such 
of  them  as  have  been  our  prisoners,  have  deceived  us  in 
every  information  given  by  them." 

To  which  the  corporal  answered  : 

"  Thank  you,  General,  for  this  declaration,  that  among 
the  Creoles  you  have  not  been  able  to  find  a  traitor,  for 
I  am  one  of  them.  The  message  I  have  brought  is  from 
a  triend  who  merely  requested  me  to  remind  a  British 


398  JACKSON    AND    NEW    OELEAN8. 

officer  of  his  word  of  honor.  I  have  fulfilled  my  prom- 
ise to  him,  and  have  nothing  more  to  say." 

With  this  remark,  the  corporal  retired,  and  was  about 
one  hundred  yards  from  the  pine  tree  when  stopped  by 
one  of  the  General's  aids,  with  a  polite  request  to  return 
to  him ;  to  which  the  corporal  answered — 

"  Say  to  your  General,  if  he  has  any  message  to  send 
to  me,  that  I  will  receive  it  under  that  flag,"  pointing  to 
the  vessel  which  had  brought  him  to  the  island. 

An  hour  after,  a  small  bag  of  money,  containing  three 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  in  English  money,  was  placed 
in  the  hands  of  the  corporal.  About  twenty-five  years 
afterwards,  Mr.  Landry  Lacoste  having  died,  the  very 
same  bag  was  brought  by  his  executor  to  the  corporal, 
then  a  merchant,  to  ascertain  the  value  of  that  money 
in  New  Orleans. 

While  on  the  island,  the  Commander-in-chief  gave  a 
splendid  dinner  to  the  young  corporal  in  the  cabin  of 
the  old  Dauphin  island  pilot  Lamour.  He  was  seated 
between  General  Lambert  and  Admiral  Cochrane,  in 
full  uniform,  with  their  brilliant  staff.  Among  the 
guests  was  Colonel  Burgoyne,  of  the  corps  of  engineers, 
Major  Smith,  who  fell  in  the  field  of  Waterloo,  Captain 
D'Este,  son  of  the  late  Duke  of  Sussex,  and  a  young 
American  officer  of  the  Navy,  sent  out  by  the  Commo- 
dore of  the  New  Orleans  station  to  arrange  an  exchange 
of  prisoners.  This  was  the  dinner  party  at  which  the 
young  corporal  had  found  himself;  nor  had  he  ever 
drunk  wines  or  liquors  of  any  sort  before.  Challenged 
by  every  one  of  the  company  to  a  glass  of  wine,  he 
thought  that  good  breeding  required  that  he  should 
drink  bumpers,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  felt  as  if 


THE   FINALE.  399 

the  number  of  guests  around  the  table  was  doubling, 
and  the  cabin  dancing.  His  blood  was  aroused  by  some 
indiscreet  remarks  made  by  Captain  D'Este,  who,  per- 
ceiving from  his  dress  that  he  was  not  an  officer  of  high 
grade,  rather  abruptly  asked  him  his  rank  in  the  army. 

"  Corporal !"  was  the  prompt  response. 

After  a  short  pause,  to  see  the  effect  upon  the  com- 
pany, the  corporal  continued — 

"  I  have  told  you,  sir,  my  rank  in  the  army,  and  I 
will  now  tell  you  the  rank  in  society  of  an  American 
volunteer  corporal.  Whenever  our  country  is  attacked, 
every  citizen  becomes  a  soldier.  The  moment  it  was 
known  you  intended  invading  Louisiana,  the  whole 
country  prepared  to  meet  you  ;  we  knew  that  we  would 
do  so  with  a  bold  heart,  but  we  also  knew  that  we  were 
ignorant  of  the  art  of  war ;  so  that  in  organizing  we 
elected  for  our  leaders,  not  the  exalted  in  social  position, 
or  worldly  wealth,  but  such  as  were  known  to  have 
military  experience.  And  so  it  is  that  most  of  the 
volunteers  who  met  you  on  the  23d  of  December  and 
8th  of  January,  were  commanded  by  mechanics  and 
tradesmen,  emigrant  veterans  of  the  French  army, 
whilst  the  ranks  numbered  the  elite  of  the  city.  Sir, 
what  do  you  think  of  our  citizen  soldiers?" 

General  Lambert  at  once  replied, 

"  I  know  all  this  ;  and  had  Captain  D'Este  inquired, 
I  could  have  enlightened  him  on  that  subject?" 

After  this,  the  gallant  young  corporal  was  mu&h  feted 
among  the  officers  of  the  British  army  and  navy. 

At  length,  on  the  13th  of  March,  General  Jackson 
received  official  confirmation  of  the  ratification  of  the 
treaty,  which  he  communicated  to  General  Lambert, 
and  announced  to  the  army,  in  a  general  order,  revoking 


400  JACKSON    AND    NEW    OKLEANS. 

the  general  order  relative  to  martial  law,  ordering  a 
final  cessation  of  hostilities  against  Great  Britain,  and 
proclaiming  a  general  pardon  for  all  military  offences, 
and  the  enlargement  of  all  persons  confined  for  the 
same.  The  following  day  Jackson  discharged  his 
militia,  after  a  warm  tribute  to  their  gallantry  and 
devotion.  These  patriotic  men,  after  passing  through 
the  campaign  with  little  loss,  began  to  suffer  greatly,  in 
their  camps,  from  dysentery.  At  least  five  hundred 
fell  victims  to  it  in  the  course  of  one  month.  The  Bri- 
tish suffered  from  the  same  cause,  in  their  encampment 
on  Dauphin  Island.  There  were  as  many  as  two  thou- 
sand on  the  sick  list  at  one  time. 

After  the  revocation  of  martial  law,  occurred  the  affair 
which  has  been  so  much  discussed  in  political  circles,  the 
imposition  of  a  fine  of  one  thousand  dollars,  by  Judge 
Dominick  Hall,  upon  General  Jackson,  for  a  contempt 
of  Court  in  imprisoning  the  Judge.  An  exceedingly 
angry  discussion  grew  out  of  the  matter,  which  was 
handed  down  to  the  succeeding  generation,  and  only  ter- 
minated a  short  time  before  the  death  of  the  General. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  respecting  a  controversy,  which  is  now 
ended,  that  the  Judge  regarded  his  arrest  as  an  unjusti- 
fiable outrage  upon  the  dignity  of  his  court,  and  required 
Jackson  to  show  cause  why  he  should  not  be  punished. 
Jackson  responded,  and  besides  many  legal  exceptions, 
contended  that  martial  law  had  been  rendered  necessary 
by  the  emergencies  of  the  State,  that  he  had  been  advised 
to  declare  it  by  the  leading  dignitaries  of  the  country, 
including  Judge  Hall ;  that  it  had  proved  to  be  a  most 
beneficial  measure  ;  that  under  this  law  he  had  arrested 
and  imprisoned  Louallier  for  creating  mutiny  and  disaf- 
fection in  the  camp ;  that  Judge  Hall  had  disregarded 


THE   FINALE.  401 

the  martial  law  and  undertaken  to  take  cognizance  of  a 
military  offence,  and  restore  the  arrested  party  to  his 
liberty  and  to  the  power  of  producing  further  difficulty. 
For  this  he  had  directed  his  arrest.  The  reasons  were 
deemed  insufficient,  and  the  General  was  condemned  to 
a  fine  of  one  thousand  dollars.  The  court,  when  this 
order  was  entered  up,  was  crowded  with  the  friends  and 
admirers  of  Jackson.  They  were  disposed  to  manifest 
their  dissatisfaction  in  a  turbulent  manner.*  But  they 
were  soon  silenced  by  the  noble  demeanor  of  Jackson. 
He  immediately  drew  a  check  for  $1000,  handed  it  to 
the  Marshal,  and  retiring  from  the  court-room,  was 
greeted  by  loud  cheers  from  the  crowd  in  the  streets. 
Conducted  to  Maspero's  coffee-house  (at  present  the  St. 
Louis  Exchange),  he  addressed  his  friends,  urging  upon 
them  to  manifest  their  appreciation  of  the  liberty  for 
which  they  had  so  gallantly  fought,  by  imitating  that 
prompt  submission  which  it  was  the  duty  of  a  good 
citizen  to  render  to  the  authorities  of  his  country.  Im- 
mediately a  subscription  was  started  to  refund  the  thou- 
sand dollars  paid  under  the  orders  of  Judge  Hall.  The 
amount  was  raised  in  a  few  minutes,  a  generous  struggle 
and  rivalry  arising  among  the  citizens  to  subscribe  the 
requisite  sum.  It  was  deposited  in  the  Bank  upon 
which  Jackson  had  drawn  his  check,  but  the  stern  soldier 
refused  to  receive  the  amount,  and  desired  that  it  should 
be  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  ladies,  to  be  expended 
in  providing  for  the  widows  and  orphans  of  those  who 
had  died  in  the  defence  of  the  city.  Thirty-seven  years 
after  these  occurrences,  when  Jackson  had*  approached 
the  limits  of  human  life,  and  was  totteiiug  to  the  grave, 
the  remembrance  of  this  incident  embittered  his 
thoughts  and  clouded  the  declining  our  of  Li&  lifp.  He 


402          JACKSON  AND  NEW  OELEANS. 

had  outlived  all  the  reproaches,  censures,  hostilities  and 
jealousies  which  his  eventful  life  had  provoked.  A 
grateful  people  had  manifested  their  affection  aud  grati- 
tude by  elevating  him  to  the  highest  honors  of  the 
Republic ;  his  political  and  civil  battles  had  been 
crowned  with  as  great  and  brilliant  victories  as  that 
which  closed  his  military  career;  and  now  this  spot 
alone  lingered  on  his  escutcheon,  and  blurred  the  bright 
pages  of  his  history  !  Softened  by  religion  and  age,  the 
old  hero  responded  to  the  solicitations  of  his  friends,  that 
it  would  add  to  the  calm  dignity  and  quiet  of  his  pas- 
sage from  this  to  another  and  better  world,  if  this  single 
reproach  upon  his  character  could  be  obliterated.  The 
Congress  of  the  Nation  honored  itself  and  gratified  the 
people  by  refunding  this  fine,  and  thus  enabled  the 
Hero  of  New  Orleans  to  sink  into  the  long-yawning 
grave,  beneath  the  oaks  of  the  Hermitage,  with  a  plaeid 
dignity  worthy  of  his  great  career. 

But  we  anticipate.  The  chagrin  of  this  judicial  fine 
was  more  than  compensated  by  the  tokens  of  public 
gratitude,  which  were  showered  upon  Jackson  from  every 
part  of  the  country.  Congress,  taking  the  lead,  passed 
resolutions  full  of  eloquent  gratitude  to  Jackson  and  his 
comrades  in  arms.  The  legislatures  of  the  various 
States  followed  with  equally  earnest  and  eloquent  ex- 
pressions. There  was  but  one  Legislature  which  with- 
held from  Jackson  this  tribute,  and  that  was  the  Legisla- 
ture of  the  State  which  he  had  rescued  from  invasion 
and  dishonor.  A  sense  of  dignity  more  than  a  want  of 
gratitude  prompted  this  omission.  The  Legislature  had 
been  harshly  dealt  with,  not  by  Jackson,  but  by  those 
who,  having  the  command  of  Jackson's  ear,  sought  to 
enlist  his  power  anct  influence  against  their  political 


THE   FINALE.  403 

foes.  Hence  the  stories  about  the  treachery  and  infi- 
delity of  the  legislators,  which,  though  recorded  in  all 
the  histories,  have  no  other  source  but  party  malice  or 
idlo  gossip.  The  calumny  has  obtained  a  place  in  all 
the  volumes  written  in  reference  to  this  affair,  that  the 
Legislature  had  really  discussed  and  considered  the  expe- 
diency of  surrendering  the  State  to  the  British.  There- 
is-  not  a  tittle  of  proof  to  sustain  this  charge.  The  Legis- 
lature, reflecting  the  state  of  parties  among  the  people, 
was  divided  into  various  personal  and  partisan  factions. 
There  was  a  French,  or  Creole,  and  an  American  party  ; 
there  was  a  party  for,  and  a  party  against,  Governor 
Claiborne.  There  were  representatives  of  the  old  Fede- 
ral and  Republican  parties.  But  there  was  no  party 
that  was  friendly  to  the  British,  or  indisposed  to  a 
vigorous  resistance.  Governor  Claiborne  imparted  to 
Jackson's  mind  some  anxiety  about  the  fidelity  of  the 
Creoles.  The  want  of  confidence  which  they  had  mani- 
/rsted  in  the  Governor  was  ascribed  by  him  to  disloyalty 
fo  the  Republic,  of  which  they  had  become  citizens. 
Others  of  "  the  American  party"  confirmed  this  appre- 
hension. But  it  was  founded  on  error,  misconception,  or 
blind  jealousy.  The  whole  population  of  New  Orleans 
was  true  and  loyal.  None  were  more  ardent  and  bitter 
in  their  opposition  to  the  British  than  the  descendants 
of  their  hereditary  foe— the  gallant  sous  of  La  Belle 
France. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  the  greatness  or  fame  of  Jack- 
son that  the  population  of  New  Orleans  should  be 
calumniated  and  falsely  accused.  It  is  time,  indeed, 
that  those  who  have  committed  this  error  of  logic,  of 
truth  and  justice,  should  acknowledge  and  retract  a  slan 
der.and  suspicion  so  peculiarly  unjust  and  inapplicable 


404  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

to  the  city  which  gave  the  most  brilliant  proof  of  loyalty 
and  devotion  to  the  Union  and  Republic  that  can  be 
found  in  history. 

It  has  been  said  that  there  were  spies  who  communi- 
cated to  the  British  the  state  of  aifairs  in  the  city.  We 
have  shown  in  one  of  our  early  chapters  who  they 
were.  A  few  poor  miserable  fishermen,  of  no  nationally, 
who  lived  in  the  swamps  and  bayous,  were  moved  by 
their  necessities  and  the  glitter  of  what,  to  them,  seemed 
untold  wealth,  to  act  this  base  part. 

The  circumstance  of  the  Legislature  being  excluded 
by  an  armed  force  from  their  halls  has  been  grossly  mis- 
represented. That  occurrence  sprung  from  a  grave 
misconception.  The  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, a  French  refugee,  from  St.  Domingo,  who 
had  lost  a  large  property  by  the  English  invasion  of 
that  island,  including  one  of  the  militia  colonels,  spoke 
with  great  concern  and  alarm  of  the  reported  threat  of 
Jackson,  in  case  his  lines  were  carried,  to  fall  back  upon 
the  city,  fire  it,  and  fight  the  enemy  amid  the  flames. 
The  militia  colonel  reported  the  conversation  to  one  of 
Jackson's  aids,  with  the  expression  of  his  belief  or  sus- 
picion, that  the  Legislature  was  about  to  discuss  the 
policy  of  surrendering  the  city.  The  aid  mixed  the 
tacts  and  his  suspicions  together,  and  communicated 
them  to  Jackson,  whilst  he  was  riding  along  the  lines  in 
the  midst  of  the  cares,  perils  and  excitements  of  the 
camp.  Jackson  sent  his  aid  to  Governor  Claitorne, 
and  directed  him  to  inquire  and  ascertain  the  truths  of 
tlfe  statements,  and  if  they  were  correct,  to  blow  up  the 
Legislature.  The  Governor,  on  receiving  this  message, 
adopted  a  middle  course.  He  could  find  no  facts  to 
justify  the  charge,  but  deemed  it  prudent  to  occupy  the 


THE   FINALE.  405 

Hall  of  the  Legislature  with  troops,  and  set  a  guard 
over  jthe  representatives.  It  \vas  a  harsh,  unjust,  un- 
called-for measure.  After  one  day's  suspension,  the 
Legislature  met,  and  its  first  action  was  to  vindicate  its 
honor,  which  it  did,  with  dignity  and  manliness.  For 
this  reason  the  Legislature,  not  so  much  for  the  indig- 
nity offered  to  it,  but  because  it  looked  to  Jackson  for 
defence  and  reparation  against  the  calumnies  of  which 
it  had  been  the  object,  omitted  in  its  resolution  of  thanks, 
and  in  the  letter  of  congratulation  addressed  to  the 
several  chiefs,  the  tribute  to  him  who  was  the  great 
hero  and  chief  over  all.  The  modest  and  noble  Coffee, 
in  responding  to  the  letter  of  thanks  addressed  to  him, 
by  order  of  the  Legislature,  reproved,  with  exquisite 
delicacy,  this  unworthy  omission :  "  While,"  he  said, 
"  we  indulge  the  pleasing  emotions  that  are  thus  pro- 
duced, we  should  be  guilty  of  great  injustice,  as  well  to 
-merit  as  to  our  own  f tilings,  if  we  withheld  from  the 
('••mmander-in-chief,  to  whose  wisdom  and  exertions 
we  are  so  much  indebted  for  our  success,  the  expression 
of  our  highest  admiration  and  applause.  To  his  iirm- 
,  his  skill,  his  gallantry — to  that  confidence  and 
unanimity  among  all  ranks,  produced  by  those  quali- 
ties, we  must  chiefly  ascribe  the  splendid  victories,  in 
which  we  esteem  it  a  happiness  and  an  honor  to  have 
been  a  part."  Praise  from  such  a  source — the  tribute 
of  one  hero  to  another — will  amply  compensate  for  the 
silence,  or  even  the  censure  of  the  legislators  of  that 
epoch,  or  of  those  who  sought  to  perpetuate  their  ani- 
mosities. 

Tim  gratitude  which  Jackson  had  so  profoundly  ex- 
cited in  the  bosom  of  the  great  popular  masses,  recon- 
ciled him  to  all  the  mortifications  which  the  necessities 


406  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 

of  his  position  had  elicited.  "With  his  soldiers,  the  gal« 
lant  militia  and  regulars,  who  had  shared  his  toils,  this 
feeling  warmed  into  the  wildest  enthusiasm,  like  tinder 
touched  by  the  spark,  at  the  indication  of  ingratitude, 
by  their  political  representatives.  A  glorious  demon- 
stration of  this  feeling  was  afforded  on  the  plains  of 
Macarte,  on  the  old  camp  ground,  where  all  the  troops 
then  in  the  city  assembled  on  the  16th  March,  little 
over  two  months  since  the  battle,  to  fight  over  that 
glorious  fight — realize  the  brilliancy  of  their  achieve- 
ment, and  for  the  last  time  survey  the  arena  of  their 
glory  and  gallantry.  General  Edmund  P.  Gaines,  the 
hero  of  Fort  Erie,  appeared  on  the  field,  at  the  head  of 
the  3d,  7th,  and  44th  regulars  and  the  uniformed  volun- 
teers of  the  city.  The  army  was  reviewed  by  Jackson. 
An  address  was  then  presented  to  him,  signed  by  the 
commanders  of  the  volunteer  companies,  which  glowed 
with  affection,  devotion  and  gratitude. 

And  thus  Jackson  parted  from  his  comrades  in  arms, 
leaving  in  the  hearts  of  them  all,  feelings,  which  still 
animate  the  souls  of  the  few  remaining  veterans  of  that 
epoch,  who  linger  among  their  descendants,  as  beacons 
to  guide  and  excite  the  patriotism  of  the  present  gene- 
ration. 

After  transacting  other  duties  of  an  unimportant  char- 
acter, Jackson  handed  over  the  command  to  General 
Gaines,  and  left  the  city  for  his  residence  at  Nashville. 
The  honors  he  there  received — the  further  transactions 
of  his  life — his  political  and  civil  career,  surpassing  in 
grandeur  his  brief  military  service,  do  not  fall  within 
the  scope  of  these  sketches.  We  cheerfully  resign  these 
themes  to  abler  hands.  Our  ambition  will  be  satisfied 
if  we  have  succeeded  in  bringing  more  distinctly  before 


THE   FINALE.  407 

the  minds  of  our  readers,  the  events  of  the  campaign, 
which  has  indissolubly  blended,  in  undying  glory,  the 
names  of  JACKSON  AND  NEW  ORLEANS. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  CHAPTER. 

THE  war  with  the  Seminole  Indians  on  the  southern 
frontiers  of  Georgia  again  called  him  from  his  retire- 
ment, in  the  winter  of  1818.  Shortly  after  the  breaking 
out  of  hostilities,  he  was  ordered  to  assume  the  com- 
mand of  the  forces  operating  in  that  quarter.  On 
the  ninth  of  March,  1818,  he  joined  General  Gaines  at 
Fort  Scott,  with  nine  hundred  Georgia  militia.  Early 
m  April,  he  was  reinforced  by  one  thousand  volunteers 
from  West  Tennessee,  and  fifteen  hundred  friendly 
Creek  Warriors,  under  their  chief,  Mclntosh. 

General  Jackson  now  found  himself  at  the  head 
of  four  thousand  five  hundred  men,  with  whom  he 
marched  to  the  Indian  town  of  Mickasauky,  which 
he  laid  waste.  The  hostile  savages  fled  into  Florida, 
whither  he  followed  them,  and  took  refuge  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  St.  Marks,  the  Spanish  authorities  of  which 
endeavored  to  protect  and  shelter  them.  Accordingly, 
the  American  commander  took  possession  of  the  town, 
and  sent  the  garrison  to  Pensacola.  On  the  sixteenth 
of  April,  he  destroyed  the  Suwanee  villages,  and  then 
returned  to  St.  Marks,  where  two  of  the  principal  insti- 
gators of  the  Indian  outrages,  whom  he  had  captured,  a 
Scotchman  and  an  Englishman,  whose  names  were 

409 


CESSION    OF   FLOBIDA.  4:09 

Arbuthnot  and  Ambrister,  were  tried  by  a  court  mar- 
tial, sentenced  to  death,  and  executed.  Not  long  after, 
intelligence  was  received  that  the  governor  of  West 
Florida,  at  Pensacola,  in  violation  of  the  treaty  with 
Spain,  was  affording  countenance  and  protection  to  the 
fugitive  Seminoles.  General  Jackson- proceeded  thither 
without  delay,  seized  Pensacola,  on  the  twenty-fourth 
of  May,  and  on  the  twenty-seventh  Fort  Barrancas  sur- 
rendered to  his  authority.  St.  Augustine  was  also  cap- 
tured by  a  detachment  under  General  Gaines.  The 
seizure  and  occupation,  by  the  American  troops,  of 
these  places  of  refuge  for  the  hostile  Indians  put  an  end 
t®  the  outbreak,  and  in  the  month  of  June,  General 
Jackson,  whose  health  had  become  seriously  impaired 
by  the  unfriendliness  of  the  climate,  returned  home, 
and  subsequently  resigned  his  commission. 

The  Spanish  posts  in  Florida  seized  by  General  Jack- 
son were  afterwards  ordered  to  be  restored,  but  his  con- 
duct was  approved  by  President  Monroe,  and  a  resolu- 
tion of  censure,  offered  in  the  House  of  Representatives, 
was  voted  down  by  a  large  majority.  Any  difficulty 
with  Spain  that  might  have  grown  out  of  his  pro- 
ceedings was  obviated,  by  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the 
United  States,  in  the  winter  of  1819.  General  Jackson 
was  very  appropriately  selected  by  the  American 
Executive,  as  the  commissioner  to  receive  the  territory, 
and  on  the  first  of  July,  1821,  he  issued  a  proclamation 
at  Pensacola,  officially  announcing  its  annexation  to  the 
United  States.  His  administration  of  the  executive 
affairs  of  the  hew  territory,  owing  to  the  bad  state  of  his 
health,  was  quite  brief ;  during  it,  however,  he  came  in 
collision  with  the  Spanish  ex-governor,  in  an  effort 


4:10  JACKSON  ELECTED  PRESIDENT. 

which  proved  successful,  to  protect  the  rights  of  several 
orphan  females.  His  firm  and  unyielding  will,  and  his 
determined  purpose,  were  never  exhibited  in  a  more 
characteristic,  or  more  creditable  manner.  His  health 
continuing  to  grow  worse,  he  transferred  the  authority 
with  which  he  had  been  clothed,  to  his  secretaries,  on 
the  seventh  of  October,  1821,  and  immediately  set 
out  for  Nashville. 

The  gallant  soldier  was  not  forgotten.  In  August, 
1822,  he  was  nominated  for  the  presidency  as  the  suc- 
cessor of  Mr.  Monroe,  by  the  legislature  of  Tennessee. 
In  1823  he  declined  the  appointment  of  minister  to 
Mexico,  tendered  to  him  by  the  President,  and,  in 
the  same  year,  he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.  On  becoming  a  prominent  candidate  for 
the  presidential  office,  he  resigned  his  seat.  At  the 
election  in  1824,  he  received  a  plurality  of  the  electoral 
votes,  but  as  there  was  no  choice  by  the  colleges, 
the  question  was  referred  to  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, by  whom  his  principal  competitor,  John  Quincy 
Adams,  was  elected  to  the  office.  In  1828,  he  was 
again  a  candidate,  and  received  one  hundred  and 
seventy -eight  of  the  two  hundred  and  sixty-one  electoral 
votes.  In  1832  he  was  elected  for  a  second  term,  by  a 
still  larger  majority. 

It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  this  work,  to  notice 
in  detail  the  political  services  of  General  Jackson. 
A  brief  recapitulation  of  some  of  the  most  important 
acts  of  his  administration  must  suffice.  On  the  twen- 
tieth of  May,  1830,  he  vetoed  the  Maysville  road  bill, 
and  on  the  tenth  of  July,  1832,  the  bill  to  recharter  the 
United  States. Bank.  On  the  sixteenth  of  January, 


RETIRES   TO   PRIVATE   LIFE.  411 

1833,  his  celebrated  nullification  message,  recapitu- 
lating the  facts,  and  many  of  the  arguments,  contained 
in  his  proclamation  of  December  previous,  was  issued. 
In  October,  1&33,  the  public  deposits  were  removed 
from  the  United  Stales  Bank,  On  the  fifteenth  of 
April,  1834,  he  protested  against  the  resolutions  of  cen- 
sure adopted  by  the  Senate,  which  were  afterwards,  in 
January,  1837,  expunged  from  their  journal ;  .and  on  the 
fifteenth  of  January,  1835,  his  warlike,  but  patriotic  mes- 
sage, in  regard  to  the  refusal  of  the  French  government 
to  pay  the  stipulated  indemnity,  made  its  appearance. 

His  long  public  career  finally  terminated  on  the  third 
of  March,  1837,  when  he  issued  a  farewell  address  to 
the  people  of  the  United  States,  and  retired  forever 
from  the  harassing  cares  and  responsibilities  of  an  offi- 
cial position,  to  the  peaceful  shades  of  his  own  quiet 
Hermitage.  The  wife  whom  he  had  so  ardently  loved, 
no  longer  lived  to  bless  him  with  her  affection,  and 
cheer  him  with  her  smiles ;  she  had  been  taken  from  his 
side,  by  death,  in  December,  1828,  yet  her  memory  was 
ever  a  sweet  solace  throughout  the  closing  hours  of  his 
earthly  pilgrimage. 

General  Jackson  had  gained  a  world-wide  reputation 
by  the  bravery  and  skill  displayed  in  his  Indian  cam- 
paigns, and  in  the  war  with  Great  Britain.  Lafayette 
was  a  guest  at  the  Hermitage,  on  his  visit  to  this  coun- 
try in  1825,  and,  twenty  years  later,  the  portrait  of  the 
general  was  painted,  when  almost  in  a  dying  condition, 
to  adorn  the  gallery  of  Louis  Philippe,  the  King  of  the 
French.  He  was  known  and  honored  by  the  great  and 
good  in  every  land.  "Whatever  may  be*  said  of  the 
domestic  policy  of  his  administration,  in  his  intercourse 


412  DEATH   OF  JACKSON. 

with  foreign  nations  he  inspired  or  enforced  respect, 
and  few,  perhaps  none,  of  our  presidents,  Washington 
alone  excepted,  ever  commanded  greater  consideration 
abroad. 

A  peaceful  close  was  vouchsafed  to  the  stormy  and 
eventful  life,  the  prominent  incidents  of  which  have 
been  briefly  portrayed  in  this  sketch.  The  Imperial 
prisoner  of  St.  Helena  died  amid  a  raging  storm,  shout- 
ing, in  imagination,  to  his  marshalled  legions,  while  the 
winds  howled  and  shrieked  above  his  head  ;  the  words, 
Tete  cParmee  !  were  the  last  to  leave  his  lips,  as  his  eye 
glazed  in  death,  and  his  frame  was  convulsed  with 
the  last  agony.  At  the  close  of  a  Sabbath  afternoon,  in 
the  bright  summer  time,  when  Nature  had  spread 
her  richest  garniture  over  her  wide  domains,  and  grove 
and  forest  were  vocal  with  sweetest  melody;  in  the 
presence  of  his  family  and  friends,  by  his  own  fireside, 
on  the  eighth  of  June,  1845,  Andrew  Jackson  calmly 
yielded  up  his  spirit.  For  weeks  and  months  he  had 
suffered  under  a  painful  disease,  yet  not  a  murmur 
escaped  him.  His  heart  was  stayed  on  a  noble  hope — 
a  hope  sure,  steadfast,  and  unfading — the  priceless  hope 
of  the  Christian ! 

"  Serene,  serene, 

He  pressed  the  crumbling  verge  of  this  terrestrial  scene, 
Breathed  soft,  in  childlike  trust, 

The  parting  groan ; 
•  Gave  back  to  dust  its  dust — 
To  Heaven  its  own  /" 

In  person  General  Jackson  was  tall  and  thin.  His 
frame  was  well  knit,  but  gaunt.  He  had  an  iron 


CONCLUDING   REMARKS.  413 

risage  and  a  commanding  look.  His  eyes  were  a 
deep  blue,  bright  and  penetrating.  He  was  frank 
and  easy  in  his  manners,  courteous  and  affable  in  his 
address. 

His  character  was  decidedly  pronounced.  It  was 
full  of  salient  points,  remarkable  for  their  strength,  and 
the  fitness  and  harmony  of  their  combination.  He  was 
kind  and  affectionate,  benevolent  and  humane  ;  pure 
and  earnest  of  purpose ;  inflexibly  honest ;  physically 
and  morally  brave ;  ardent  and  sincere  in  his  patriot- 
ism ;  direct  in  his  professions ;  and  resolute  and 
unflinching  in  determination.  He  possessed  a  firm  will, 
was  clear  in  judgment,  and  rapid  in  his  decisions.  His 
temperament  was  restless,  though  not  mercurial.  He 
had  an  abundance  of  what  the  French  call  fortes 
emotions.  His  passions  were  intense,  and  what  he 
did,  he  did  with  all  his  might.  Like  Cicero,  he  was  a 
new  man  /  and,  by  his  own  unaided  exertions,  raised 
himself  from  comparative  obscurity,  to  the  highest  dis- 
tinction. He  was  a  good  hater,  but  he  never  forgot  his 
friends ;  and  there  are  many  who  still  prize  his  friend- 
ship, bestowed  while  in  life,  as  a  favor  from  heaven. 

All  these  traits  and  characteristics  were  strikingly 
exhibited,  both  in  his  civil,  and  military  career.  His 
style  as  a  writer  partook  of  his  mental  peculiarities  ;  it 
was  rugged  and  uneven  as  the  mountain  torrent ;  yet  it 
had  a  nervous  eloquence,  that  never  failed  to  produce  a 
deep  impression,  and  indicated  a  powerful  grasp  of 
thought.  As  a  soldier,  he  was  fruitful  in  expedients  ; 
he  had  the  genius,  perseverance  and  skill,  of  Hannibal 
— the  indomitable  will  and  energy,  without  the  selfish- 
ness, of  Napoleon.  He  was  persevering,  cool,  and 


4:14  CONCLUDING  EEMABK8 

intrepid — hardy  in  endurance,  and  gifted  with  rare 
courage.  In  a  word,  as  the  historian  Alison  remarks  of 
the  Trench  soldier  of  fortune — "  He  was  not  a  great 
man  because  he  was  a  great  general :  he  was  a  great 
general  because  he  was  a  great  man !" 


THE    END. 


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sought  by  Napoleon  and  Lucien  Bo- 
naparte, Bernadotte,  Murat,  Junot, 
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(12)  MADAME  REGNACLT  DE  ST.  JEAN  D'AN- 
GKLY,  a  peerless  beauty,  one  of  whose 
replies  to  Napoleon  has  become  his- 
torical. Napoleon  said  to  her  at  a 
ball,  "Do  you  know,  Madame  Reg- 
nault,  that  you  are  looking  much 
older  ?"  She  answered  at  once,  and  in 
the  hearing  of  an  hundred  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  "The  observation  which 
you  have  done  me  the  honor  to  make, 
sire,  might  possibly  have  given  m« 
pain,  had  I  arrived  at  a  period  when  I 
youth  is  regretted."  She  was  twenty-  ' 
eight  years  old.  • 

(18)  MADAME  JCNOT,  DUCHESS  D'ABRANTES.     . 
This  lady  refused  Napoleon's  brother     ; 
in  marriage ;  her  brother  would  not     • 
accept  Napoleon's  sister,  Pauline,  and     ' 
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poleon's first  god-child. 

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and  his  imps." 

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protegee  of  Napoleon. 


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RE-PUBLICATION  OF 


DUODECIMO    LIBRARY    EDITION. 

TEE  UNDERSIGNED  HA  VE  JUST  READY 

THE  FIRST  COMPLETE  AMERICAN  EDITION 

OF  THE  CELEBRATED  NAUTICAL  NOVELS  OF  CAPTAIN  MARRY  ATT. 

THEEK  has  long  been  an  active  demand  among  the  thousands  of 
admirers  of  this  favorite  author,  for  a  uniform  and  "readable  edition  of 
his  popular  and  delightful  novels ;  that  demand  is  now  supplied  by 
the  issue  of  this  new  and  beautiful  edition ;  the  type  is  open  and 
clear,  paper  and  binding  faultless ;  in  size,  matching  the  new  editions 
of  Irving  and  Cooper ;  each  work  illustrated  with  a  new  steel  frontis- 
piece, and  complete  in  one  volume,  as  follows : — 

PETER  SIMPLE,  JACOB  FAITHFTTL, 

THE  KING'S  OWN,  PACHA  OF  MANY  TALES, 

MIDSHIPMAN  EASY,  JAPHET  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  FATHER, 

SNARLEYYOW,  THE  PHANTOM  SHIP, 

NEWTON  FORSTER,  THE  POACHER, 

THE  NAVAL  OFFICER,  PERCIVAL  KEENE. 

"  Captain  Marryatt's  writings  depict  life  at  sea  with  the  same  fidelity,  and  with  far 
more  spirit,  than  any  of  the  fashionable  novels  portray  a  rout,  a  ball,  or  a  breakfast,  and 
we  much  prefer  the  subjeov.  as  well  as  the  talent  of  the  nautical  novels  ;  a  storm  at  sea  is 
more  animating  than  a  crash  at  St.  James' ;  we  prefer  a  shipwreck  to  a  ruin  at  Crock- 
ford's  ;  the  sly  humor  of  the  old  sailor  is  more  amusing  than  the  exclusive  slang  of  Bond 
Street,  and  a  frigate  action  calls  up  higher  feelings  and  qualities  than  a  hostile  meeting  in 
Battersea  Fields.  Captain  Marryatt's  productions  are  happy  in  more  senses  than  one : 
he  employs  neither  the  effort  nor  the  prolixity  of  Cooper;  his  conception  of  character  Is 
so  facile  and  felicitous  that  his  personages  immediately  become  our  intimate  acquaint- 
ance and  astonish  us  by  their  faithful  resemblance  to  whole  classes  of  beings  similarly 
situated.  Captain  Marryatt's  humor  Is  genuine,  It  flows  naturally,  and  insensibly  com- 
municates to  the  reader  the  gaiety  the  author  seems  himself  animated  with." —  West- 
minister Review. 

Price, per  Volume: 
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DERBY  &  JACKSON,  Publishers, 

119  Nassau  Street,  New  York. 

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rteeipt  of  price. 

W.  H.  T.Mcn.  42  Centre  it. 


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